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 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.

Photos courtesy Louise Allerton, Spinifex Arts Project