Butcher Joe Nangan facts for kids

Joe Nangan OAM (also known as Butcher Joe Nangan) was an important Aboriginal Australian leader and artist. He lived from 1900 to 1989. Joe Nangan was a lawman, which means he helped keep traditional laws and customs alive. He was also a jalngunguru, a type of healer or wise person.

As a guardian of old stories and traditions, Nangan helped save the sounds and performances of special dances and songs. As an artist, he made many drawings with pencil and watercolour. He also carved designs into pearl shells and boab nuts. His art showed his strong connection to his traditional lands, known as his Country.

Joe Nangan's Early Life and Work

Joe Nangan was likely born on February 25, 1900, in a place called Kanen in Western Australia. His traditional lands stretched east of Broome. From his Walmatjarri father, Dicky Djulba, he had rights to an area called Paliara. From his Nyikina mother, Anne Binmaring, he had rights to Jirkalli. This area is on Dampier Downs station.

Nangan first worked as a stockman on cattle stations. Later, he learned to be a butcher for the stations. In 1916, some of his family members were killed while he was away. From about 1920 to 1940, Nangan worked as a butcher at the Catholic mission in the Beagle Bay Community. This is how he got the name "Butcher Joe."

On January 26, 1937, he married Therese Bende. They had a daughter named Mary. After Therese passed away in 1963, Nangan married Josephine Balgalai on June 17, 1967.

Keeper of Traditions

Joe Nangan had many important duties in his community. He was responsible for keeping traditional laws and stories alive. He made sure these traditions were passed down, even in areas where fewer people lived due to sickness or other events. This is why his art includes so many different myths and stories. Many of his stories are from the Jirkalli area. But others belong to the Jukun, Yawuru, and Karajarri people nearby.

Nangan was also known for his nulu or nurlu songs. These are dancing songs from the Kimberley region. They are mostly sung and are often accompanied by boomerang clapsticks. People believe these songs are "found" in dreams and shared by spirits.

Nangan's own Nulu ganany (a series of songs) included stories about his mother's death. They also spoke of spirits near her grave. In the 1920s, the spirit of Nangan's aunt gave him the marinji-rinji nulu and the Mayata, which is the pelican spirit. She showed him the pelican headdress that appears in his drawings. He wore this headdress when he performed the Mayata nulu (dance of the pelican). He performed this dance in the Broome area from the 1920s until 1985.

Amazing Artworks

It is thought that Joe Nangan created thousands of artworks during his life. These include carved pearl shells and boab nuts. He also made hundreds of drawings using pencil and watercolour paints. Nangan's art style was very realistic. He used his knowledge of how bodies are shaped, light and shadow, and perspective to show figures moving. It was unusual for Aboriginal artists to use such a realistic style for traditional subjects.

Nangan's drawings show plants, animals, spirit beings, and stories from myths or history. It is important to know that he mostly drew characters and stories from the Dreaming. The Dreaming is a very important part of Aboriginal culture. Nangan's art about traditional law and his people's stories are valuable records of Aboriginal life and legends. He recorded a huge amount of cultural knowledge. He believed this knowledge was key to an Aboriginal person's identity. He was worried about its rapid loss and how that would affect people. He also feared that losing this knowledge would harm the balance between the natural and spirit worlds.

Nangan was most active in the 1970s and 1980s. He created art for three exhibitions between 1981 and 1983. His art is now in major Australian collections. These include the National Gallery of Australia and the National Museum of Australia. His work is also at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. Other places include the Art Gallery of Western Australia and the Berndt Museum of Anthropology.

Carved Pearl Shells

Nangan knew about the Riji. This is a ceremonial item made from pearl shell and cloth. Aboriginal men from his Country traditionally wore it. The Riji influenced the carved pearl shells Nangan made in the 1950s and 1960s. An example is a pearl shell with various Australian plants, animals, and figures.

Pencil and Watercolour Drawings

Nangan wanted to save and share his knowledge through his drawings. This led him to produce about 600 drawings over thirty years. The first ones might have been made when he met anthropologist Helmut Petri in the mid-1950s. Petri thought these were Nangan's first realistic works on paper.

Nangan usually used a soft lead pencil to draw the outlines and shadows of figures and landscapes. He used bright colours and washes to highlight important parts. These included body decorations, weapons, and plants. The figures in his art are human or animal. Both can change their shape or form. Rocks, trees, and other natural features are also coloured. They are central to the events shown in his art.

Nangan often made many versions of the same drawing. Sometimes, he would draw a tiny insect or animal in the margin. This helped him remember the main ideas of the artwork. However, when his works were sold, the pages were often separated. The margins were cut off, removing this important link to his explanations.

Here are some examples of Nangan's pencil and watercolour drawings:

• Nyinerri - The Law Leader (National Gallery of Australia)
• Sketchbook of drawings of the Nyikina people (National Museum of Australia)
• Parrbul (The sea woman) (The Art Gallery of Western Australia)

Awarded the Order of Australia

In June 1987, Joe Nangan received a Medal of the Order of Australia. This award was for his great contributions to art and to Aboriginal heritage.

His Passing

Butcher Joe Nangan passed away on January 21, 1989. He was buried in Broome.