Ngiya Ngirimimpi amintiya Ngiyarringanuwi (My Mother’s Family and my Father’s Family)

My name is Michelle Pulatuwayu Woody Minnapinni, I come from a long line of people of the Tiwi Islands. We trace our ancestors back through story to Purukuparli and his Mother Murtankala – the original wulimaka – old lady who came up from underground and brought light by making the sun with fire. They are the people that are the Tiwi creation story. Murtankala, Purukuparli, Japarra, Wai’ai and Jinani. From that time Purukuparli held the first Pukumani ceremony for his son Jinani, that kirijini was the first Tiwi to pass away. Purukuparli had the first ceremony on the beach at Yimpanari and he yoyi with that kirijini’s body and danced into the winga (salt water). Now all us Tiwi mob follow them. That story tells us about the original family – the story of all of us life, death and mourning for family.

In this writing I wanted to show photos of my family and ancestors, a story of me moving between three communities and learning that knowledge from family. These are the mob that inspired me, especially my eldest sister Rachel and her partner. I also had encouragement and support from my late partner Nicholas Mario. When I look at these photos it tells the story of me becoming an artist, because I have that important connection through family to that strong culture that is important to all Tiwi people. It is a story that goes way back and as artists we carry all this knowledge with us through our work.

1. This photo is of that old man who is my ancestor from my mother’s side. I called him, like, maningawu. This photo is of Pukumani ceremony under a shade built by in-laws at old camp near Garden Point. In the 80s they had big mob ceremony there, old and strong culture was there. When we all grew up we used to go there for ceremony, that brother too (Pedro Wonaeamirri). All the old people used to sit down and sleep there. They used to hold Kulama (Coming of Age) Ceremony there too, over 3 days and 3 nights, telling stories and sharing knowledge. Today’s generation we do not do that ceremony anymore.

2. This is my maningawu, this is my mother’s mum. Nellie Wanteraplia. She was in that film Mourning for the Mungatopi from the 1970s. I’ve seen all that footage and the video of the big Pukumani ceremony held at Karslake near Milikapiti on Wulirankuwu Country. I didn’t get to meet her, but I’ve seen her crying in that video, for sorry business for the Mungatopi mob. My dad was also involved with working with these anthropologists back then, sharing translation, speaking Tiwi and English, sharing our story. In this photo, my maningawu Nellie is painting tunga. Tunga is a bark basket we make for carrying bush food, babies and fresh water. We use for ceremony too, put on top of the tutini poles. They are like offering at Pukumani ceremony for the spirit to return to Country. When the original old lady Murtankala came up from underground, she carried three children in a tunga on her back. She crawled along the ground and created the Apsley Strait between the two Tiwi Islands with her body in the sand. She made Bathurst and Melville, the two Tiwi islands.

3. This is purrungupari, or flat bark. Back in the days people did not have canvas. They used to use bark to make paintings, they use ochres from Country to paint. Still today at Jilamara we use ochre colours and collect stringybark in the wet season to paint on.

4. This is my uncle Matthias, I didn’t get to meet him but he did an amazing thing as part of the war. He took the first Japanese prisoner in Australia that got lost in a plane crash. He was in the mangrove and my uncle captured him after the plane crash. That was during the bombing of Darwin during the WWII. He was mum’s brother and he was an artist too, but he did carving only. He did figure carving like this photo. I think this one is Purukuparli, because he has the jilamara body design. This one would be at Paru on the Melville Island side, looking at the mission on Bathurst. Paru is like a homeland too, sacred site. They also got that one area for burial site.

5. This is my sister Rachel, I was connected to her when I first came from Pirlangimpi to Milikapiti, I used to be with her a lot here in Milikapiti around the old people. It was really important for me to be connected to her and learning that knowledge through her. She showed me how to make those ornaments, marriwiyi and pamajini. It was really important time for me, because no one now in this generation does many grass skirt, armband and headband and I really want to carry on this knowledge for her, this, my eldest sister.

6. This is my brother-in-law, Rachel’s partner. My nephew’s Matthew, Patrick, Buster and my niece Coleen and Delilah, this was their dad. This is a strong family connection through art and culture. When I came from Pirlangimpi I had that connection with them, my sister Rachel and Paddy, they had that really strong connection to art and culture and they are the mob that really inspired me. They showed me the old ways, paintings with the pwoja comb, ochres, pandanus and bush dyes for weaving. How to collect the materials and make colours for painting. They showed me the importance of going out on Country. In this photo Paddy is getting ready for ceremony, Pukumani ceremony. He is paintings up, he was a culture man. Back in the day he used to do Kulama ceremony too, important coming of age ceremony that the new generation do not do much anymore. 

7. This is when I first started doing activities at the Adult Education Centre that is Jilamara Art Centre museum now. That is when I first connected with Jilamara artists Raelene Kerinauia, Janice (Murray) and my nephew Jarman, Patrick (Paddy’s son). Patrick is the one that prepares tutini poles for me now to paint for exhibition. That was the first time I got connected with this place. It was mostly screen-printing and sewing back then, but some of the men were doing carving and bark paintings. I did a lot of sewing back then, there were a lot of challenges and learning from other artists and all their different styles. That was Anne Marchement time. Now that building is the art centre museum, the Muluwurri Museum and I work in there now too with the collection.

8. This is Pukumani ceremony at Old Camp at Pirlangimpi, I was a baby then. That was long time ago, but looking at it now, it was really important. All the wulimawi (old People) there, they made important ceremony for family. The one with the ochre cross in my uncle CJ’s aminya (grandfather). All the wulimawi (old people) did their own design on their bodies and some of them carry on. CJ still paints up like that for ceremony. 

9. This is my grandmother Nellie, my mum’s mum. I didn’t get to meet her but I’ve seen lots of photos of her because she was really important and had strong culture. I think they are dancing Kapala, sailing boat, at Pukumani ceremony. This one is down at the beach, at old camp at Pirlangimpi. They are wearing all those ornaments, back in that day they had that connection and made all those ornament sister Rachel showed me how to make. I have made some of these for the exhibition in Melbourne to sit next to my paintings to show the connection but that one is mine, I made those ones.

These photos show a bit of my ngirramini (story). My family and ancestors. They are here in all these photos. Everytime I do my art painting here at Jilamara, I can feel them, their spirits. The story of my Tiwi culture goes all the way back to the creation story and the first Pukumani ceremony. Like today I am really honored and proud, now that I’ve become an artist and people around the world and Australia get to see my artwork, through exhibitions. Carrying on this knowledge through the work that I do is really important to me, through the next generation and the next generation after that. That connection to strong art and culture is important to me and my people, to hold that strong knowledge. 

Michelle Pulatuwayu Woody Minnapinni is a strong Tiwi culture woman and artist whose distinct painting style has been recognised on a national level. She often uses the distinct Tiwi pwoja (ironwood comb) to paint depictions of Ngiya Murakupuni (My Country), winga (saltwater) and jlamara (Tiwi body paint design). Since joining Jilamara, Michelle has taken on key governance roles, and is the current Executive President and Gallery Assistant at Jilamara where she has a key role overseeing the Muluwurri Museum collection held at the art centre in Milikapiti. Michelle has participated in many leadership programs including the ANKA Artsworker Extension Program and Wesfarmers Indigenous Leadership Program, and has completed a Specialist Certificate in Arts Conservation from the Grimwade Centre at the University of Melbourne.