Martumili Artists was established by Martu people living in the communities of Parnpajinya (Newman), Jigalong, Parnngurr, Punmu, Kunawarritji, Irrungadji and Warralong, and it draws on strong influences of aboriginal art history. The artists and their families are the traditional custodians of vast stretches of the Great Sandy, Little Sandy and Gibson Deserts as well as the Karlamilyi (Rudall River) area.  Most Martu people maintain an entirely independent, nomadic desert lifestyle until the 1950s and 1960s when they walked into settlements in response to a long and severe drought.  Today, Martu people live in their own communities and regularly visit regional centres such as Newman and Port Hedland.

Martumili Artists are an activity of the Shire of East Pilbara, and gratefully acknowledge BHP Billiton as their Principal Partner.

The Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi lands in the Pilbara area of WA comprise of over 11,000km2 of vast mountain ranges and gorges, rolling rocky outcrops and rivers, and spectacular coastline. It stretches from the azure waters of the Pilbara coast to the Millstream-Chichester National Park to the south, from around Whim Creek in the east to just west of Pannawonica.

Importantly, these income streams are allowing NYFL to devote increasing budgets towards our constitutional requirements. Our membership has grown from an initial 320 when the Agreement was signed in 1998 to currently in excess of 1800 people – and is still growing.

The Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation Limited is committed to promoting the interests of its beneficiaries, and particularly the Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi people. Driven by a committed and visionary Board, it is developing business activities which provide revenue streams over and above the initial funding stream from our North West Shelf Gas partners, essential to continue to provide assistance as membership soars over 1,800 as at March 2017. These activities also provide training and employment and business opportunities for local people, and present the NYFL brand in a positive sense in front of resource companies, governments at all levels and the broader community.

BRIDGING CULTURES

Yinjaa-Barni Art, a not-for-profit Aboriginal Corporation, is governed by its own Aboriginal board and run by an executive manager. It consists of a group of talented artists who predominantly belong to the Yindjibarndi language group and whose ancestral homelands are around the Millstream Tablelands in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

In the Yindjibarndi language Yinjaa-Barni means ‘staying together’. At the art centre this finds its expression in the artists’ enjoyment of working together and in their artworks, which, through their visual language, provide a rich and meaningful way of bridging cultures.

The Yinjaa-Barni artists have strong individual styles although all share the common desire to depict what is dear to their hearts – their country, their culture and the plant life that is typical of their region. The older artists have become highly regarded and collected, while the younger painters are quickly making their names. Their artworks have been awarded prizes in regional and national competitions, shown in national and international galleries and have found their way into public and private national and international collections.

Yinjaa-Barni Art is located in a heritage-listed cottage on the main street of Roebourne, a small town between Karratha and Port Hedland in Western Australia’s Pilbara region in the north-west of the state.

A note on spelling: Yinjaa-Barni Art is correctly referenced with a hyphen.