Kumpaya Girgirba

Kumpaya’s country is around Kunawarritji (Well 33) on the Canning Stock Route in Western Australia. Some say that she was born in May 1933 near Kiwirrkurra although the catalogue entry for Yiwarra Kuju says about 1945. She is a respected law woman and cultural leader. For many years her family avoided contact with Europeans, but eventually they moved to Jigalong mission to join their relatives. Kumpaya learned how to paint and weave baskets while visiting family in Balgo, Fitzroy Crossing and Patjarr. She is credited with introducing these skills to the Martu people. She currently paints for both Warlayirti Artists at Balgo Hills and Martumili Artists. Short Street Gallery notes “Her brothers are Charlie Wallabi, Helicopter and Patrick Tjangurrayi. Kumpaya recalled the first day she saw an aeroplane: the plane flew over and she was terrified. She and her family quickly hid their small children (including Ngamaru Bidu) in the bushes near the closest waterhole. The plane was, in fact, searching for them and over subsequent days, the family alternately hid from the whitefellas and ran from them. Eventually, the pursuers spotted the smoke of the family’s campfire and drove up to their camp. The whitefellas gave everyone bananas, oranges and apples. Kumpaya says that they put the food on the fire but it didn’t cook up well and they threw it away. The whitefellas made cups of tea and a bag of sugar, but Kumpaya and her family thought the sugar was poison and threw all the food away. The whitefellas took the family to jigalong, ending their Pujiman (bushman) days. After living in Jigalong mission, Kumpaya worked on several stations before moving to Parnngurr community.”