Pindan, Andrea - Bridget McDonnell Gallery

Andrea Pindan

Skin: Nyapana

Language: Walmajarri

Country: Great Sandy Desert

DOB: 02/07/1972

I was born on a station called Myroodah near Looma Community, about 190 km

west of Fitzroy Crossing. I have four children and my husband’s name is Claude Carter.

We live on a block that belongs to us - Bawoorrooga community, 100 km to the east of Fitzroy Crossing. My grandmother, Emily Pindan was a Martu woman. She came from the south, to the west of the Canning Stock Route, from a place called Wirnpa.

It is in the warla [salt lake] country. I first enjoyed art in the year 2000 because my uncle Thursday Pindan used to paint Wirnpa. He is gone now but I always think of him because I used to help him finish his canvas paintings.

Today I do that painting of Wirnpa because it is my grandmother’s and my uncle’s country. Our family lived there for many generations. I also do another painting from the warla country. I paint the sweet bush tomato and the warma flower [bush medicine].

As a child, I lived with my grandmother growing up around Bayulu Community and Fitzroy Crossing. I also went back to La Grange to see my other family. I was always moving in a triangle between the three places.

In 2009, I went to visit my ancestor’s country (Wirnpa) with my family. When we got there we had to break branches to meet the rainbow serpent. It was the fi rst time I felt this spirit. The fi rst time I have been touchedby my ancestors. Everybody cried tears of joy. When I got there I was so happy, I walked around and collected sand frogs, witchety grubs and other bush foods. It was mostly young people that went back to country because it is up to the young people to keep that knowledge. That’s why they tell us stories and we have to listen carefully. That story could be 40,000 years

old. Once they give the stories to us, it is our role to hand these down to our children. Most of the old people are gone now and it is up to us to keep the knowledge of that place alive.

PAINTING THEMES:

Bush foods and bush medicines

Living Jila [permanent waterhole] at Wirnpa