News / Arlatyey
Introducing Eileen Bird Kngwarreye
Today, I'd like to introduce you to Eileen Bird Kngwarreye (pronounced Ung-wahr-ay).
Eileen is an Eastern Arrernte woman, and her country is Arnumarra, near Gem Tree northeast of Alice Springs in Central Australia. Her family grew up at Harts Range where her brothers and sisters continue to live. Eileen grew up on her country at Harts Range but moved to southern Utopia to marry her husband, the late Paddy Bird. Together, they had eleven children (Maggie, Tanya and Alvira Bird among them). Paddy's mother was a renowned artist named Ada Bird Petyarre, sister to the famous Gloria and Kathleen Petyarre.
Her artworks mainly depict either the ʻArlatyeyʼ story or Women's ceremony. ʻArlatyeyʼ is the Anmatyerre word for Pencil Yam. Many female artists often paint dreamings associated with bush foods, as they are vital to Aboriginal traditional life. Through painting, they pay homage and celebration of the continued growth of these plants to flourish from season to season.
Eileen has been painting professionally since the mid 1990’s and her beautiful colourful works have a strong following.
Australian Indigenous Bush Foods
Bush tucker, or bush food, is any food that is native to Australia. Australian Aboriginals have used the environment around them for generations, living off a diet that is high in protein, fibre, and micro nutrients, and low in sugars. Much of the bush tucker eaten then is still available and eaten today.
There are many different types of Bush Tucker foods:
- nuts and seeds (eg. Acacia, Macadamia, Bunya nuts)
- flavourings and native spices (eg. bush pepper, lemon myrtle)
- berries (eg. Astroloma, some Solanum species)
- fruits (eg. Quandong, Ficus macrophylla, Syzygium, bush plum or Anwekety*)
- vegetables (eg. bush potatoes, yams, tomatoes)
- wattle seeds ground to produce "flour"
- drinks (eg. hot teas, infusions of nectar laden flowers, fruit juices)
- plant roots ground to produce a paste or flour (eg. pencil yams or Arlatyey*)
*This name comes from the Anmatyerre language (names may vary for other languages)
Many female artists often paint Dreamings associated with bush foods. This is because bush foods are vital to Aboriginal people living a traditional life. Through painting these bush foods, it is a celebration of the growth of these plants to flourish from season to season.
There are many Australian plants that are edible; and even some that are in very high demand as foods throughout the world. The only food plant well established as a large commercial scale crop, which is native to Australia is the Macadamia.
