Martu people facts for kids

The Martu (also called Mardu) are a group of Aboriginal people who live in the Western Desert area of Western Australia. They are made up of several different groups who share a similar culture and way of life.

Who are the Martu?

The Martu people speak different Wati languages. Their name, Martu, means "one of us" in their language. This name became common after many groups started living near places like Jigalong in the 1980s. Today, the name Martu is used by people living in communities such as Jigalong, Wiluna, Punmu, Parnngurr, and Kunawarritji.

Martu Languages

The Martu speak a group of languages called Wati. These languages are part of the larger Pama–Nyungan language family. Together, the Martu languages are known as Martu Wangka, which means "Martu Speak." Many Martu people speak more than one language, and English is often a second language for them.

Martu Country and Communities

The Martu's traditional lands are a huge area in the Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia. This includes places like Jigalong, Telfer, and the Percival Lakes.

Today, most Martu people live in communities such as Punmu, Kunawarritji, and Parnngurr. Even though they live in these communities, they still visit and care for their traditional lands. Many Martu also live in the town of Wiluna and nearby areas.

Martu Social Life

The Martu people are often described as five main groups, based on their traditional languages. These include the Mandjildjara, Kartudjara, Keiadjara, Putidjara, and Wanman.

Martu families often travel between different settlements to stay connected with their relatives, even those who live far away. This means the number of people in a community can change a lot. Cars and trucks now help people visit their traditional hunting grounds, sometimes just an hour away from where they live. Families might also move to follow seasonal food sources or to take part in important cultural events.

In larger communities like Parnngurr, people live in smaller "hearth groups." These are groups of family members who live together in camps or shelters provided by the government. During colder months, when people live inside the shelters, sleeping areas are often divided by age and family connections. Elders usually have a special place in the home.

Important Moments in Martu History

The Canning Stock Route

The creation of the Canning Stock Route in 1906–07 was a very difficult time for many Martu people. They were sometimes forced to act as guides and show where water sources were located. Some were even restrained with chains.

Moving to Settlements

Over time, many Martu people moved to settlements like Jigalong. At Jigalong, missionaries and officials encouraged them to stop traditional foraging and rely on store-bought goods. While the Martu did start using some market goods, living together at Jigalong also helped them realize their shared interests and identity as Martu people.

The Rabbit-Proof Fence

The rabbit-proof fence runs through Martu country. The famous film Rabbit-Proof Fence is based on a true story about three Martu girls. These girls, Molly Craig, Daisy Craig, and Gracie Fields, escaped from a settlement and walked all the way back to Jigalong. Molly Craig was the mother of Doris Pilkington Garimara, who wrote the book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence that the film is based on.

First Contact in 1964

Some Martu people had not seen white people until the 1960s. Their ancestors had generally avoided contact since the time of the Canning Stock Route. In 1964, missile tests were planned for an area that was traditional Martu country. Two patrol officers, Walter MacDougall and Terry Long, were sent to make sure the area was clear of people.

In May 1964, they saw a small group of Martu women and children. The women were scared of the white men's Jeeps, which they thought were "moving rocks." They managed to avoid being found for four months, surviving on the rich food sources of their land. Eventually, two Aboriginal men, Punuma Sailor and Nyani, helped to make contact. Nyani spoke a language the women understood, and they decided to come in. They were then moved to the Jigalong mission station.

This event was one of the last "first contact" moments in Australian history. Yuwali, who was a 17-year-old girl at the time, later shared her story. Her experiences were told in the book Cleared Out: First Contact in the Western Desert and in the 2009 documentary film Contact.

Self-Determination and Native Title

After the mission at Jigalong closed in 1969, many Martu moved away to create their own settlements at Punmu, Kunawarritji, and Parnngurr. They wanted to have more control over their own lives. In these new settlements, the Martu continued to use some market goods but also kept up their traditional foraging. The government helped support this mix of old and new ways of life.

In 2002, after nearly 20 years of effort, the Martu were granted native title over much of their traditional country. This was the largest native title claim in Australia at that time. However, Karlamilyi was not included, which was a disappointment for the Martu people.

Martu Family System

Martu society has a special system of four "skin groups," or subsections. These groups have very strict rules about who can marry whom. This system helps to keep families and communities strong and connected.

Martu Economy and Way of Life

The Martu economy today combines traditional foraging with other activities like painting and paid work. These new activities became part of their lives when they started living in settlements.

Foraging for Food

Foraging is still a very important way for the Martu to get food. People go on foraging trips every day. Men spend about 17% of their day foraging, and women spend about 13%. Modern tools like metal tools and rifles are now used instead of traditional wooden and stone tools. Cars are also used to reach foraging areas.

Most food found on foraging trips, like sand goanna and bustards, is eaten right away. About eight people usually go to a foraging area together. They then spread out to find food individually. After collecting food, they gather near the vehicle to eat what they've found. Larger, more difficult foods are prepared by elders, while smaller foods are prepared by the person who found them. All food is shared among everyone present, no matter who found it. These "dinner time camps" are important for eating and for people to talk and connect.

Martu Art

Martu art has become a big part of their economy, especially with the creation of Martumili, an arts cooperative. Martu artists often paint traditional stories, especially those from the Dreaming. They use modern materials like acrylic on canvas.

One famous painting is Yarrkalpa — Hunting Ground, created by Ngarga Thelma Judson and other artists from Parnngurr. This huge painting shows the area around Parnngurr, including the seasons and traditional cultural burning practices. In 2022, this artwork was projected onto the Sydney Opera House and also displayed in Berlin, Germany.

Other Ways to Earn Income

Many Martu people receive welfare payments. These payments, along with money from art sales and paid work, help them buy things like fuel for their vehicles. This allows them to continue foraging while living in centralized communities. The Martu also buy some food, like flour, but a large part of their diet still comes from foraging.

Some Martu people are also involved in growing Australian sandalwood in the Gibson Desert. They are known as the Dutjahn Custodians.

Martu Diet

The Martu have a system where men and women gather different types of food. This helps make sure there is always enough food for everyone in the camp. Men often hunt kirti-kirti (wallaroos) or kipara (bustards). Women are very successful at hunting parnajarlpa (sand goanna), which can make up a large part of the Martu diet.

Older women, who know the land very well, often light small brush fires. These fires help to expose the hiding places of goannas that have burrowed into the ground. They use digging sticks (wana) to get the lizards out. The goannas are usually cooked over a fire and shared with others in the group. About 20-50% of the Martu diet still comes from bush foods.

Controlled Burning and Seasons

The Martu practice controlled brush burning, usually in the colder months from April to October. This helps to keep the native plants healthy by removing unwanted grass species. These carefully managed fires also help prevent large, uncontrolled wildfires that can happen during very hot and dry times. Ideally, fires are kept small, around 20 hectares.

The Martu recognize five stages of plant regrowth after an area has been burned:

• 1. nyurnma is the area that has just been burned.
• 2. waru-waru
• 3. nyukura
• 4. manguu
• 5. kunarka

The first three stages, which last for a few years, encourage the growth of plants like woollybutt and other plants whose seeds can be used to make damper. Burning also creates space for wattle and bush tomatoes to grow. The last two stages show when large clumps of spinifex start to grow back strongly.

Sharing Goods

Sharing things like food and tobacco helps the Martu people maintain an equal society. Hunters bring their catch back to camp to share with others. Goanna hunters decide how to share their meat, but for larger animals, an elder man helps distribute the meat to the hunter's family and others in the camp.

Sharing food is one of the few ways to gain respect in a Martu group, as they own very few personal items. Someone who can give away a lot of meat is seen as more respected than someone who cannot. However, sharing is not just about gaining respect; it is a deeply held cultural norm that has helped the Martu survive for a very long time.

Books, Films, and TV About the Martu

• 1996: Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence – a novel by Doris Pilkington Garimara.
• 2002: Rabbit-Proof Fence – a film based on the novel.
• 2005: Cleared Out: First Contact in the Western Desert – a book by Sue Davenport, Peter Johnson, and Yuwali, about the events of 1964.
• 2009: Contact – a film by Bentley Dean and Martin Butler about the 1964 first contact event.
• 2015: Cooked – a Netflix documentary mini-series. The first episode, "Fire," featured the Martu people showing how they hunt and cook goanna and describing their connection to their land.

See also

• Martu Wangka dialect
• Wirnpa