Mulyatingki Jeanie Marney

Mulyatingki Marney is a Manyjilyjarra language speaker born around 1941 at Nyinyiri, a soak east of the Canning Stock Route in the Martu native title determination. She is a Martu pujiman (born in the desert). She lived with her three sisters (one sister being Ngarinyjapayi) and three brothers, and other extended family travelling from the Canning Stock Route in the east right to the headwaters of the Karlamilyi River.

Mulyatingki’s family saw planes flying overhead and were scared and hid under the spinifex, not knowing what these huge beasts were. She was travelling around Karlamilyi with her sisters when they first saw whitefellas. These whitefellas were riding horses along with some Martu people already living at Jigalong mission. For a time, while they were living in the desert, some men from Mulyatingki’s family would do seasonal work at the stations around Jigalong, but they always went back to see their families. The family was, therefore, familiar with whitefellas.

In 1966, Mulyatingki’s family decided to walk to Balfour Downs because no one left in the desert. The Balfour Downs station manager contacted Jigalong Mission, and the mission staff Mulyatingki had met previously in the desert came to pick them up. Mulyatingki lived for many years at Jigalong Mission and then took her three children to live in Punmu, close to her family and country. She has lived in Punmu since 1982 with her children and grandchildren. Recently Mulyatinki has been living in both Punmu and Port Hedland.

Mulyatingki is a senior law woman and a major supporter of the KJ Punmu women’s ranger program. She is a funny storyteller and has worked for many years showing younger generations their country and passing them important cultural information. She is a well-known artist.

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