Evelyn Pultara

An important part of the woman’s role in traditional Aboriginal culture is to collect bush foods. Carrying bowls (coolamons) are used to collect the seeds of plants, flowers and bulbs. Wild yams, onions, tomatoes, beans, apples, cherries and plums provide ideal sustenance for desert dwellers. Evelyn has created a depiction of her totem, the Bush Yam. The Yams are collected by digging deep into the soil using sharp digging utensils either made from carved wood or more commonly today, a metal crow bar. The Yams are exposed amongst the root system of the yam bush. “This is about Yam Dreaming. It’s really important food for us. Big story.” Evelyn relates that after that old lady passed away (and she is referring to the late Emily Kame Kngwarreye – her aunt) there was no one left to paint that story about the Bush Yam so that’s why she took it up.