Jimmy Baker

Kalaya Tjukurpa

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Jimmy Baker

Kalaya Tjukurpa

Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Size: 99 x 98cm
Year: 2008
Price: $ NFS
NFS

This artwork was part of a special slideshow feature for the fundraising auction Ochre: Supporting Indigenous Health.

Kalaya munu kiparaku Tjukurpa (this is the story about the emu and the bush turkey). The emu father had many chicks with him, but that poor old bush turkey only had one child. When the bush turkey came by he saw that the emu was sitting all alone and he asked, “Where are all the children?” “I didn’t want all them children, they are too much trouble. They eat too much. So I killed them all!”

The emu hadn’t really killed his children; but hidden them in the bush. When the turkey’s son heard this he said to his father, “If you don’t kill me, I’ll show you where all the tucker is”. But the turkey was thinking I might kill my son.

He killed him, hit him on the head. While the turkey was sitting down at Kanpi he saw the emu come back with all his children. He realised he’d been tricked and was angry.
He decided to kill that man. He told the emu to grab his spear thrower and come with him. He hit him in the chest and finished him.

When he got back to Kanpi rockhole all the emu kids were painted up for Inma (sacred dancing). The kipara hid behind a tree and whistled at them. He was frightening
them and they thought he was mamu (devil spirit).

They ran off down towards Watarru. This is the true story for Kanpi.

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