Anmatyerr facts for kids

The Anmatyerr people, also known by names like Anmatyerre or Anmatjera, are an Aboriginal Australian group. They live in the Northern Territory of Australia. The Anmatyerr people speak a language that is part of the Upper Arrernte language family.

Anmatyerr Language

The Anmatyerr language has two main forms, called dialects: Eastern and Western. Both of these are types of the Upper Arrernte language.

Traditional Lands

In 1974, a researcher named N.B. Tindale described the Anmatyerr people's traditional lands. These lands covered about 11,200 square miles (29,000 square kilometers).

Important places in their country include the Forster Range and Mount Leichhardt. The area also covers Coniston and the Stuart Bluff Range. The Hann and Reynolds Ranges are also part of their traditional lands. Their eastern border reached Woodgreen, and to the northeast, it was near central Mount Stuart.

Anmatyerr Communities

Many Anmatyerr communities are located in this region. Some of these places include Nturiya (Old Ti Tree Station) and Ti-Tree (Pmara Jutunta). Other communities are Willowra, Laramba (Napperby Station), and Alyuen.

The Anmatyerr region shares land with other Aboriginal language groups. These include the Warlpiri, Arrernte, and Alyawarr people. Many people in these areas belong to two or even three different language groups.

The Utopia community is about 250 kilometers northeast of Alice Springs. It was set up in 1927. This community is partly on Alyawarr land and partly on Anmatyerr land.

A specialist in Arandic culture, T. G. H Strehlow, also worked with Anmatyerr people. He recorded many of their important ceremonial traditions.

Other Names for Anmatyerr

The Anmatyerr people are also known by several other names, including:

• Anmatjara
• Imatjera
• Janmadjara/Janmadjari (a name used by the Warlpiri people)
• Janmatjiri (a name used by the Pintupi people)
• Nmatjera
• Unmatjera (mainly a name used by the Aranda people)
• Urmitchee
• Yanmedjara, Yanmadjari

Famous Anmatyerr People

• Gwoya Jungarai, also known as "One Pound Jimmy," was a very important person. He was the first Aboriginal person to be shown on an Australian postage stamp in 1950.
• Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and Tim Leura Tjapaltjarri were stepsons of Gwoya Jungarai. They were Anmatyerr artists. They are known as leaders in the Contemporary Indigenous Australian art movement.
• Emily Kngwarreye was a famous Anmatyerr artist. She lived in the Utopia community.
• Kathleen Petyarre, Gloria Petyarre, and Jeanna Petyarre are well-known artists. They are nieces of Emily Kngwarreye. They are Alyawarr and Eastern Anmatyerr artists from Utopia.
• Minnie Pwerle was also a talented artist. She was from the Alyawarr and Anmatyerr language groups.