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Spinifex People are from an aboriginal community that has retained
strong ties to and knowledge of the land and traditional stories
from the area. Reverence for the Tjukurrpa (Dreamtime) and respect
for elders is as it has always been. Whilst an inevitable influence
of Western culture is seen, with houses, televisions and Toyotas
widely used, the strengths and obligations of traditional Spinifex
culture continue to provide the basic framework for a rich desert
life.
Spinifex
country is part of the broader Western Desert region in the
far east of Western Australia and the people speak a southern
Pitjantjatjara language. The Maralinga Atomic tests of the
early 1950's in the eastern portion of the Spinifex lands
and beyond caused a movement of people out of traditional
lands and into missions in WA, SA and the NT. In the mid 1980's
when a group of senior Spinifex people led a movement back
into traditional lands north of the Nularbor the question
of Crown 'ownership' of Spinifex lands became more pressing.
The
ground breaking Mabo decision of 1992 opened the way for traditional
people across the country to reclaim tribal lands. Taking
advantage of this potential the Spinifex Native Title claim
was formally lodged in 1995 and following a long but amicable
legal process the land agreement covering 55,000 square kilometres
was ratified at a bush sitting of the Federal Court in 1999.
Part of the ethnographic documentation for the land claim
was made through a set of the first ever Spinifex paintings
showing birthplaces and lineage of responsibility for country.
These paintings gave brilliant form to deep and long held
religious and metaphysical beliefs and spoke of a framework
of kinship relations and cultural law central to and acknowledged
by the landmark land settlement.
Since
the land claim process concluded the Spinifex Arts Project
has continued to produce fine art that reflects the knowledge
and culture of the people whilst presenting the rights and
strength of the community to the outside world. Building on
a full archive of past works and continuing to fully document
new works, the arts project is central to the community's
aspiration to ensure traditional Spinifex knowledge is at
the core of future community strength and security.
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Combined
women's painting
photo courtesy Louise Allerton
Spinifex Arts Project |
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Combined
men's painting
photo courtesy Louise Allerton
Spinifex Arts Project |
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Drying
works
photo courtesy Louise Allerton
Spinifex Arts Project
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Combined
men's painting
photo courtesy Louise Allerton
Spinifex Arts Project
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