This is the cave of Minyma Makuli, also known as Minyma Malilu – minyma nymupu – she was crippled and had to crawl on her hands and knees across the ground. She dug out this cave with the piti (wooden bowl), to be her big wiltja (shelter). She camped here with her kungkawara kutjara, two daughters, young women. One evening the girls returned from hunting with kuku pulka (large game), she wondered how they got it, and where it had come from? Two men had given it to the girls! Her girls left her alone for a long time and didn’t help her, poor thing, poor old weak woman, so she decided to follow them. She crawled after them, wanatjara anu, using a walking stick, following their tracks northwest back to the hills. When she reached their camp the men hit and killed her. They had called the girls in marriage and took them away.
This is Carolanne Ken’s grandmother’s country. The underground cave at Kanypi is a permanent water supply. Carolanne is from Kaltjiti on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara/ Yankunytjatjara Lands. Her father’s country is Mulya Ulpa, near Pilkinga, on the road from Makari to Iltur and her mother’s country is Walytjitjata, west of Kanypi. Carolanne paints Minyma Makuli, which was passed down from her maternal grandmother. Her mother, Kunmanara Ken, was a long-time artist at the Kaltjiti Art Centre.
Desert Mob is presented annually in Mparntwe | Alice Springs on Arrernte Country.
On behalf of Desart’s staff and art centre members, the Executive Committee humbly and respectfully acknowledge the Arrernte Apmereke Artweye (Traditional Owners) and Kwertengerle (Traditional Managers) of Mparntwe.
Desart respectfully advises Aboriginal readers that this website may contain names, images and artworks of people who have passed away.
