Tjuntjuntjara community is located 660 km east of Kalgoorlie, in the Great Victoria Desert, Western Australia - it is considered one of the most remote communities in Australia.
The local people are known as ‘the Spinifex People’, who moved from their homelands (which range across the WA/ SA border) to Cundelee (160km east of Kalgoorlie) during British atomic testing at Maralinga in the 1950s and 1960’s - returning to their traditional country around Tjuntjuntjara in the mid 1980’s.
‘Tjuntjuntjara Tjukurpa was written, recorded and filmed over five days in partnership with Tjuntjuntjara Remote Community School in October 2013. The process involved close consultation with local elders, school students, staff and local community members.
‘Tjuntjuntjara Tjukurpa is Pitjantjatjara language for ‘Tjuntjuntjara Story’ and celebrates the continuation and vitality of the Pitjantjatjara culture across the region, with references to the local Emu Dreaming story.
The story is also a celebration of local young people, and the importance of school attendance, health, and everybody contributing to a strong and healthy community.
Special thanks to Charlie and Tilly Klein, and the Tjuntjuntjara Remote School.
We pay our respects to the Pitjantjatjara people - traditional owners of the country from which this story was told.
lyrics
The deep red sun sets here in the west
Over the spinifex - roots of the spinifex
Walk through the saltbush - carve desert oak
The spirit of my country speaks through the fire smoke.
No spear, no more, shoot a rabbit with a gun.
Turkey take flight, hunter run, run, run.
Ngalya pitja kukaku (Come here for meat)
Come, come, come.
Tjungu ngalkuni, (Eating together)
Family, desert sun.
Oh, oh, oh, we’re the Pitjantjatjara people
Oh, oh, oh Anangu people
Oh, oh, oh kalaya tjukurpa (Emu Story)
Oh, oh, oh, now our spirit’s still strong
Ngalya – kuwarripa - warripuwa - inma inka
(Come quickly for singing and dancing)
Cheeky papa (dog) chasing us
Payapaya ngalya pakani (Chase the dogs away and get up)
We the Pitjantjatjara people - people of the Spinifex
We the best - in the west - tjukurpa (story) beat in my chest.
Good morning, I woke up today - quarter past 8, little bit late
Hungry! Missed the mai (food) - rumbling tummy to start the day!
School starts - time to read
Time to write - time to learn
Respect to earn - things to know
Plants to grow - places to go
We love life - this life we live
Plenty to give - plenty of fun.
Plenty of sun - space to run.
Karingki tjuta (everyone’s mad) everyone.
Come! Check it out - Pitjantjatjara hip-hop.
For all my family - my grandmother and my pop
Walk like an emu – dance like an expert
Sing my song, by the campfire in the red dirt.
Kulila kalaya tjukurpa wilurara Ilkurlka.
(Listen to the emu story west of Ilkurlka)
Pitjantjatjara Anangu - ninti pulka.
(Pitjantjatjara people - smart and strong)
Oh, oh, oh, we’re the Pitjantjatjara people
Oh, oh, oh Anangu people
Oh, oh, oh Kalaya Tjukurpa (Emu Story)
Oh, oh, oh, now our spirit’s still strong
credits
from Song Nation Volume 1,
released July 11, 2014
Tjuntjuntjara Young People & Community – Co-Writers
Toby Finlayson - Director/ Co-Writer
Joel Westlake – Composer / Music Director/ Co-Writer
Matt Ross – Blues Guitar
David Nicholas – Audio Mixing
Creating change through collaborative storytelling - empowering Indigenous young people through truth, hope and a mantra of
positivity.
Our journeyman team of artists work in remote and regional Indigenous communities all over Australia - working with young people, elders, schools, and many more to create dialogue around social and cultural issues, through music, film and performance....more
