Wilma Napangardi Poulson / Birds that live around Yuendumu (2A) Final Payment

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

Wilma Napangardi Poulson was born in 1970 in Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community 290km from Alice Springs in NT of Australia. She has a sister, Ivy Napangardi Poulson, an artist also working with Warlukurlangu Artists, and a brother who alternates between Darwin and Nyirripi.Wilma went to the local school in Yuendumu, then to Yirara College in Alice Springs. When she finished schooling she returned to Yuendumu.

Wilma has been painting with Warlukurlangu Artists since 2004. She paints several dreamings, but the ones that feature constantly are the Bush Banana Dreaming depicting Vaughan Springs country and the Snake Vine Dreaming relating to Mt Theo area. These Dreamings were passed down to her by her father and his father’s father for millennia. These stories relate to her land, its features and the plants and animals that inhabit it.

Wilma was married but her husband passed away. She has no children but loves to take care of her nephew.

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.