Margaret Yinjuru Bumblebee

Ngarti Language Group

“Kununduru”

120 x 60cm

Ref No:BA7605

In this painting Margaret has painted kununduru (bush bean). The U shapes represent women collecting all the kununduru into their coolamons. These women are guardians for the kununduru Tjukurrpa (Dreaming). They are responsible for the dances and for collecting the bush bean to reinvigorate re-growth.

Margaret Napurrula Anjulu (Yinjuru) is a stately Ngardi/Walpiri woman born circa 1945. She was born into a nomadic existence in the Tanami Desert. Her family group, compromising only her mother, father and herself, walked into Laws Creek Station when Margaret was still a young girl. Here they tended to goats and pigs. The family acquired donkeys and camels for transporting drums of tea and flour to various outstations. This led Margaret to working in the kitchen at various stations between Balgo and Lajamanu.

Margaret only moved to Balgo Mission when her children were no longer in danger of being put into dormitories. Before that her children went to school for short periods of time in Lajamanu. Margaret has worked for the church at Balgo and commenced painting with one of the early art coordinators. Margaret paints vibrant dynamic paintings rich with stories from the Tjukurrpa (Dreaming). A senior law woman she holds responsibilities for sand painting rituals, ceremonial dances, song cycles and bush medicine knowledge.