Sharlene Nakamarra Nelson / Birds that live around Yuendumu (6B)

Artwork is accompanied by Warlukurlangu Artists (Yuendumu) Art Centre Certificate of Authenticity/Provenance

Sharlene Nakamarra Nelson was born in 1996 to Patricia Nungarrayi Spencer and Simon Jupurrurla Nelson. She was born in Alice Springs Hospital, the closest hospital to Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290km north-west of Alice Springs in NT of Australia.

Sharlene’s father’s grand-mother was Daisy Napanangka Nelson, one of the founding members of Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation. Sharlene is related to many Warlukurlangu Artists including Mary Napangardi Butcher, Wilma Nampijinpa Robertson and Narelle Nakamarra Nelson. Sharlene still attends school. She began her studies at the local school in Yuendumu and in 2011 left home to continue her studies at Shalom Christian College, Townsville, where they offer campus boarding facilities for secondary students. She enjoys school, plays sport particularly basketball and loves music such as rap and reggae. When she is on holidays she helps out at the Warlukurlangu Art Centre and paints with her family. She likes to paint Janganpa Jukurrpa (Brush-tail Possum) and Marlu Jukurrpa (Kangaroo Dreaming), dreamings passed down from her father’s side and from his father’s side before him for millennia. When she’s home she also likes to go hunting with her family.

This painting depicts one of many ‘jurlpu’ (bird) species that live around Yuendumu. The bush around Yuendumu provides many different habitats for birds to live in. Many bird species live around waterholes and rivers, like the ‘pirniny-pirninypa’ (black fronted dotterel). Others live in the spinifex country, like the ‘nuwiyingki’ or ‘panngarra’ (cockatiel). Still others make nests in trees, like the ‘juwayikirdi’ (grey crowned babbler).

People hunt some of these species for meat. The most popular species to hunt today are the ‘yankirri’ (emu) and ‘wardilyka’ (bush turkey). People also used to hunt ‘yupurru’ (spinifex pigeon) and ‘ngapilkiri’ (crested pigeon), among others.

A number of bird species tell people messages. Several species tell people when rain is coming, including the ‘jintirr-jintirrpa’ (willy wagtail) and ‘kalwa’ (crane). The cries of other birds, like the ‘kirrkalanji’ (brown falcon) and ‘ngamirliri’ (bush stone curlew), can make children sick. The ‘paku-paku’ (crested bellbird) and ‘kurlukuku’ (diamond dove) are messengers of love songs.

People also use messages from birds to help them hunt. The ‘juwayikirdi’ (grey crowned babbler) and ‘piirn-piirnpa’ (yellow throated miner) cry when goannas are nearby. People know to run quickly when these birds cry, so that they can catch the goannas.

In Warlpiri culture, ‘jurlpu’ (birds) are associated with a number of different ‘Jukurrpa’ (Dreaming) stories. Some are even associated with major ceremonies, including the Jardiwarnpa fire ceremony.