This painting depicts the tjukurpa of Kanpi. Kalaya Tjukurpa and Minyma Malilu Tjukurpa are intertwined within the work.

Kalaya Tjukurpa (Emu creation story) for Kanpi Community. The emu is walking around the country, leaving travelling tracks where his has walked. He is eating many bush foods as he travels. All his children are gone. They have hidden in the bush. The Kalaya was playing a trick on the Kipara (Bush Turkey Man). The emu father had many chicks with him, but that poor old bush turkey only had one child. When the bush turkey came by he saw that the emu was sitting all alone and he asked “where are all the children?” The emu replied “I didn’t want all them children, they are too much trouble. They eat too much. So I killed them all!” The emu hadn’t really killed his children, but hidden them in the bush. The turkey was thinking I might kill my son too. So he killed him, hit him on the head. While the turkey was sitting down at Kanpi he saw the emu come back with all his children. He realised he’d been tricked and was angry. He decided to kill that man. He told the emu to grab his spear thrower and come with him. He hit him in the chest and finished him. When the kipara got back to Kanpi rockhole all the emu kids were painted up for Inma (sacred dancing). The kipara hid behind a tree and whistled at them. He was frightening them and they thought he was mamu (devil spirit). I was born with the mark where the kipara hit the emu on my chest.

Minyma Malilu (the woman called Malilu) is sitting inside her windbreak close to the underground cave she dug out at Karatjitja. She travelled in search of food and as she walked she left her tracks in the sand. She found ngapari (sweet secretions left by insects on gum leaves) and rolled them into a ball. She continued collecting foods in her hunting area. She collected tjawal tawalpa (an edible berry), kampurarpa (desert raisin) and parka parka (mistletoe). Later she went hunting for kuka mitika (bettong) and wayuta (possum). She travelled further on to Kanpi rockhole. Here the water first fills up the top rockhole and cascades down through a series of waterholes. This is a true story from the Tjukurpa (creation time). When you go inside Malilu’s cave you can see her bed and chair which are made of stone and the bones scattered around from her last meal. We take the Kanpi kids to this place and teach them about their culture.

Artists: Kaye Baker, Marita Baker, Teresa Baker, Beryl Jimmy, Imitjala Pollard, Kani Patricia Tunkin, Sammy Tunkin, Sophia Tunkin, Casseyanne Woods, Elaine Woods, Janice Woods, Venita Woods.