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Emu Dreamingby Raymond Walters JapanangkaThis artwork depicts Emu feathers, it is said that during the Dreamtime hundreds of Emus travelled through the Western Desert towards the East, moving across the land in great numbers creating and forcing the land to change and evolve. Their enormous size and great numbers enabled them create such change in the land. For many days they travelled through different language groups leaving different stories, interacting with different animal species and spiritual beings, leaving songs and stories which are still heard today. Many died from travelling so far, so long without water and food. Signs of the Emus that perished are found in some remote areas in the Western and Tanami Deserts. Finally after travelling a great distance, the Emus decided to rest, they were resting near a place called Ngarleyekwerlang , home of the old man Turkey. The Emus were hungry and heard from others about the sweet tasting Kutjuta . While the other Emus rested, one particular Emu went into the Ngarleyekwerlang grass plains and asked Old Man Turkey for some Kutjuta. The Old Man Turkey said his Kutjuta was rotten and didn't taste very nice and got cranky, telling the Emu to go away. The Emu did not believe Old Man Turkey and returned to the others, waiting until late in the afternoon when the Old Man Turkey flew elsewhere. When the Emu returned he came across a trench in the ground where he found all this Kutjuta hidden. He tasted one and it was beautiful and sweet. While he was feeding the Old Man Turkey came back and found him. He wasn't happy and a fight started and scattered all the Kutjuta everywhere, which created the Ngarleyekwerlang landscape. This story is an important song sung during special ceremonies. |
ArtistRaymond Walters Japanangka was born in Alice Springs in November 1975. His grandfather’s country is Ngarleyekwerlang of Yuelumu (Mt Allan) and his grandmother’s country is Alhalkerre Atnangkerre (Boundary Bore) of Utopia. Ngarleyekwerlang is located 300km North West of Alice Springs. Boundary Bore is located 300km North East of Alice Springs. Both his grandparents come from the Anmatyerre language group. He also has extended family members from the Arrernte, Western Aranda, Alywarre, Warlpiri and Kaytetye language groups. As a boy Raymond spent most of his youth out bush with his family and extended family members or in town with his mother living in Mt Nancy. Mt Nancy is an Aboriginal town camp located on the fringes of Alice Springs. Raymond’s mother was born in a creek bed not far from the camp. “Growing up in Mt Nancy brings back a lot of good memories being around family and friends, but it was also a time of struggle for my people, my family. There was a lot of alcohol related violence, public intoxication and as children we wandered the streets, sometimes too afraid to venture back home. Most kids grew up in broken homes, in a way people may think that would have been awful, in a way it was sometimes, not having your own room, your own bed, your own processions, love and comfort. I remember my aunty calling me one year during Christmas, she said she called me to say she loved me and was proud of me. I handed the phone over to my partner because I was so emotional about it all. I really couldn’t remember the last time anyone had ever said that to me, if anyone had ever said that to me. That same aunty has been an inspiration to me throughout my upbringing, always kind and gentle with us kids, but also being there for us when we needed support and love. She even came to my first ever solo exhibition in Melbourne. We kids have witnessed and done a lot of things today I’m sure we regret. Silly kid’s stuff I guess. Although it sounds like I had a tough upbringing for which I did, we also had our culture, our elders who made sure we were taught about our cultural heritage, this was the balance in our lives. Our government was still taking away children from their families, I to spent time with non indigenous families, in foster care. I always wondered what was happening and why it was happening. Raymond Walters Japanangka is involved in the Red Dust Role Models. Sabine Haider from Central Art says: " I have nothing but admiration for Raymond, as an artist and as a person. he shows courage and determination. His artistic talent speaks many different languages, a connection between his world and our world." Raymond will always have my support. |
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