Pintupi Nine facts for kids

Gibson Desert

The Pintupi Nine were a small group of Pintupi people. They lived a traditional life in the Gibson Desert of Australia. For many years, they did not know about European settlement in Australia. In 1984, they met their relatives near Kiwirrkurra. People sometimes called them "the lost tribe." When they left their traditional way of life in October 1984, the world's news called them "the last nomads."

Life in the Desert

The Pintupi Nine lived a nomadic life. This means they moved around a lot. They traveled between waterholes near Lake Mackay. This area is close to the border of Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Traditional Tools and Clothing

The group wore special hairstring belts. They carried long wooden spears and spear throwers. These tools helped them hunt. They also had beautifully carved boomerangs.

What They Ate

Their food came from the desert. They mainly ate goannas and rabbits. They also gathered many different bush food plants. This diet kept them very healthy.

The Family Group

The Pintupi Nine were a family. There were two mothers, Nanyanu and Papalanyanu. They were in their late 30s. They had seven children together. The children were all teenagers.

The four brothers were Warlimpirrnga, Walala, Tamlik, and Piyiti. The three sisters were Yalti, Yikultji, and Takariya. This family group is also known as the Tjapaltjarri clan.

First Contact with the Outside World

The father of the family passed away. After this, the group decided to travel south. They had seen smoke in that direction. They hoped to find their relatives there.

Meeting New People

They met two people camping from Kiwirrkura. There was a misunderstanding involving a shotgun. The Pintupi Nine got scared and ran back north. The campers went back to their community. They told others about the group they had seen.

Finding Their Relatives

Community members quickly realized who the group was. They were relatives who had been left in the desert about twenty years earlier. Many people had moved to missions closer to Alice Springs back then. The community members drove to where the group was last seen. Then, they tracked them on foot until they found them.

After meeting and understanding their family connections, the Pintupi Nine were invited to live in Kiwirrkura. Most of them still live there today.

Life After Contact

The Pintupi-speaking trackers told the group about their new home. They said there was lots of food. They also said water came out of pipes. Yalti, one of the sisters, said this idea amazed them.

Health and New Home

Doctors checked the Tjapaltjarri clan. They found them to be "in beautiful condition." They were strong, fit, and healthy. At Kiwirrkurra, near Kintore, they met more of their extended family.

Later Lives and Art

In 1986, Piyiti decided to return to the desert. The three brothers, Warlimpirrnga, Walala, and Tamlik (now known as Thomas), became famous artists. They are known as the Tjapaltjarri Brothers in the art world.

The three sisters, Yalti, Yikultji, and Takariya, also became well-known Aboriginal artists. Their artworks are shown in exhibitions and sold by art dealers. One of the mothers has passed away. The other mother lives with the three sisters in Kiwirrkura.