25-388 – Damien Miller

Jamparri is a yinta (permanent spring) located yapurra (west) of Karlamilyi River (Rudall River) and ngaparti (south) of Yaralalu waterhole. Both areas are known as good hunting sites. The Karlamilyi River and its surrounds were created by the Jila Kujarra (Two Snakes) as they journeyed north east to Nyayartakujarra (Ngayarta Kujarra, Lake Dora).

Jila Kujarra is one of the key Jukurrpa (Dreaming) narratives for the Martu. Though the story belongs to Warnman people, it is shared across the Western Desert with several other language groups. The narrative centres on the travels of two snakes as they are pursued by the Niminjarra, spiritual ancestors of the Warnman people.

“Big claypan, Kulijatukujarra, [in] Karlamilyi (Rudall River region) sandhill Country. I been walk around here with my three sisters long time, pujiman (traditional, desert dwelling) time. This one my mummy’s Country, my nanna’s Country.” 

– Nyanjilpayi (Ngarnjapayi) Nancy Chapman

Kulijatukujarra is a soak located west of Nyayartakujarra (Ngayarta Kujarra, Lake Dora), forming part of Nyanjilpayi’s ngurra (home Country, camp) through her mother and grandmother. Nyanjilpayi knew this area intimately and travelled around here extensively with her family in her youth. She stayed at Kulijatukujarra with parents and sisters, Mayiwalku, Mulyatingki and Malatu Marjorie (dec.).

The Western Desert term ‘ngurra’ is hugely versatile in application. Broadly denoting birthplace and belonging, ngurra can refer to a body of water, a camp site, a large area of Country, or even a modern house. People identify with their ngurra in terms of specific rights and responsibilities, and the possession of intimate knowledge of the physical and cultural properties of one’s Country. This knowledge is traditionally passed intergenerationally through family connections. Painting ngurra, and in so doing sharing the Jukurrpa (Dreaming) narratives and physical characteristics of that place, has today become an important means of cultural maintenance. Physical maintenance of one’s ngurra, like cultural maintenance, ensures a site’s wellbeing, and is a responsibility of the people belonging to that area.