Pila Nguru: The Spinifex PeopleThe People of the Sun and Shadow, the Spinifex People, were cocooned within the Spinifex plains of the Western Desert for hundreds of generations until shaken from their nomadic solitude by the atomic shock of Maralinga. When they returned to their homelands in the 1980s, after their displacement, they found the southern third of their country had been converted into a nature reserve, the northern third leased to Aboriginal people in the north and the center deemed vacant crown land. This is a detailed account, in words and artworks, of the culture and history of the Spinifex People, an almost invisible people in modern Australia. |
Common terms and phrases
Aboriginal activities Anderson associated Australia authority belonging birth born brother bush called camp Cane central ceremonial close Court cultural Cundeelee Cyril described east established European example father fire forms hundred hunting important initiation interests involved Kangaroo kilometres knowledge known Kulyurru Lakes land owner leave living locations look lost Maralinga Mark material means meetings Miramirratjara mission move native title nature negotiations never ownership paintings person Pitjantjatjara political primary provides range recognised regional relation relationship respect responsibility ritual sacred seems seen senior settlement significant Simon Hogan social Spinifex homelands Spinifex lands spiritual thousand Tjukurrpa Tjuntjuntjara tracks traditional typically umbilical cord visited walked waterholes Wati Wati Nyiinyii Western Australia Western Desert women