May Wokka (Mayiwalku) Chapman Ngurra (Home Country, Camp)
Product Details
This painng depicts Mayiwalku’s ngurra (home Country, camp); the land she walked as a young child. Her Country, the
Manyjilyjarra region, is located within the central Great Sandy Desert of northwest Western Australia. Features of the
landscape are here portrayed aerially with geographical familiarity, including tali (sandhills), warta (vegetaon), and the
many life sustaining water sources known inmately through both real life experience and the recounng of jukurrpa
(dreamme) narraves.
My name Mayiwalku. I’m pujiman (nomadic desert dweller). [I had] no clothes, nothing. Me Karimarra (skin group). My daughter Milangka, mummy Milangka, daddy Purungu. [I was]
born long way [away] – Ngarurr I been born. He [they] been coming back [with me], mummy and daddy. He [they] been bringing lile one- me. He [they] been walk around, go round.
Walking, walking with me. Me baby, eang sand! (laughs) My daddy (moons her father hing her hand). I been big one (the eldest child). My sister Mulyangki she told me “May you
cheeky one! ” I been mujarri (run away), me. I been hit him, my sister. She been crying, telling my mummy. She been hit me then. My daddy always gone long way, hunng marlu
(kangaroo) and pussy cat. Get him with a spear. Good feed. He been bring them and cook ‘em. I been get married in Warralong. My nyupa (husband) finished now. Good man. Big one!
I’m a single now. Too much children! Dennis, Sally, Pauly, Charlie, Arnold, Doreen and Sandra. My daughter Doreen I been get him (gave birth to) near to Jigalong. All the boys [were born
in] Karnmarta, Warralong. In Warralong painng, painng. No fishing – no car! Only painng, painng every day! Yuwayi (yes)!"
Mayiwalku was born in the desert at Ngarurr soak in the 1940's. She is the eldest sister of fellow arsts Nancy Nyanjilpayi Chapman, Mulyangki Marney and Marjorie Yates (dec.). As a
child and through to young adulthood, Mayiwalku travelled through her parents’ Country with their family. This region encompassed the areas surrounding Punmu, Karlamilyi River and
Kunawarritji. Following the death of their parents, the sisters connued to travel in the desert alone, though at mes they would meet and travel with other family groups. When
Mayiwalku’s family saw white people for the first me, they hid from them in a cave unl nighall. With the construcon of the Canning Stock Route in 1910, they increasingly came into
contact with European and Martu drovers travelling along the Route. Finally, following an extreme and prolonged drought, Mayiwalku’s family walked into Balfour Downs Staon, where
they were collected by mission staff and taken to Jigalong Mission. They were one of the last families to leave the desert. Mayiwalku lived and worked for many years at Jigalong mission,
eventually moving with her five children to Warralong, where she connues to live today with her children and grandchildren.
76 cm x 101.5 cm x 3 cm
Acrylic on Canvas
