Yanjami was born at Kalpaa (Well 23 on the Canning Stock Route) in 1948.
His mother was born near Kumpupirntily (Lake Disappointment) on the Canning Stock Route and his father was from Wirnpa.
When he was still a young child, Yanjami’s family went to Jigalong after his grandmother passed away on the Talawana Track.
He went to school at Jigalong, Nullagine and Marble Bar, and met his wife in Jigalong.
After finishing school, Yanjami worked on several stations around Meekatharra and also trained racehorses.
Everything changed when the Martu communities were set up in the early 1980s and Yanjami went to the new community at Parnngurr since that was closest to his birthplace.
His children grew up in Parnngurr. Yanjami paints Kumpupirntily (Lake Disappointment) and the area south of Kalpaa (Well 23 on the Canning Stock Route).
He explains: "In the Dreamtime, people were coming south from the Savory River.
The people from Lake Disappointment killed a little girl and ate her.
The people who lived in that area around Lake Disappointment were bad people.
When the wind stopped, people from the south knew that people from Lake Disappointment were walking around hunting and that they might kill someone.
The only time that it was safe to go in that area was when there was plenty of wind.".
Yanjami was born at Kalpaa (Well 23 on the Canning Stock Route) in 1948.
His mother was born near Kumpupirntily (Lake Disappointment) on the Canning Stock Route and his father was from Wirnpa.
When he was still a young child, Yanjami’s family went to Jigalong after his grandmother passed away on the Talawana Track.
He went to school at Jigalong, Nullagine and Marble Bar, and met his wife in Jigalong.
After finishing school, Yanjami worked on several stations around Meekatharra and also trained racehorses.
Everything changed when the Martu communities were set up in the early 1980s and Yanjami went to the new community at Parnngurr since that was closest to his birthplace.
His children grew up in Parnngurr. Yanjami paints Kumpupirntily (Lake Disappointment) and the area south of Kalpaa (Well 23 on the Canning Stock Route).
He explains: "In the Dreamtime, people were coming south from the Savory River.
The people from Lake Disappointment killed a little girl and ate her.
The people who lived in that area around Lake Disappointment were bad people.
When the wind stopped, people from the south knew that people from Lake Disappointment were walking around hunting and that they might kill someone.
The only time that it was safe to go in that area was when there was plenty of wind.".