Martu to exhibit in the new WA Museum
Martu have partnered with the Western Australian Museum to share Martu stories in the new museum which is scheduled to open in late 2020. One of these stories is about Martu knowledge of yintakaja (permanent waterholes) in the desert.
Martu elders, rangers and artists met with museum staff at the Martumili Artists gallery at the end of 2019 to discuss the yintakaja story. Martu shared stories about how pujiman (desert-born elders) would walk common routes from waterhole to waterhole.
These include observing the seasons, gathering wilyki (seed) to make damper, firing country to flush out marlu (red kangaroo), digging out soak waters with a piti (a wooden dish), travelling to wirrkuja (rockholes) and linyji (claypans) to access fresh hunting grounds after the rains, hunting birds from underneath these water as they flew in to take a drink, and returning to the yintakaja (waterholes) once the ephemeral waters dried up in yalijarra (hot dry times).
Senior elders told these stories while young artists and family members helped by recording, translating and interpreting these stories into an exhibition concept. Martu are excited to teach non-Martu about their country and history and to continue partnering with the Museum to tell their stories.
