Jennifer Kngwarray Purvis

When I was a little girl and my Dad go back to work I would cry from him. Mum always used to take me to Soapy Bore and we lived there with my Aunty Nora and my uncle. I was always too much crying for my dad, “why dad gone away from me?” My mum told me “Dad’s gone to work at Woodgreen Station.”
Sometimes my father took me to Alhalkere, and we looked out from that high place. My father told me “This is your nanna’s country, is my mum, and that side your nanna’s country, is your mother’s mother.” He showed me everywhere. He told me “I have only 4 daughters. You and my 3 big daughters. Your older sisters look after this country when I pass away.”
I am boss for Alhalkere now because all my sisters they’ve gone away from Boundary Bore. My dad told me “don’t leave this place, even if you go somewhere else, come back to this place and look after it.” He told me “keep strong for this country.” He said to me “don’t steal anything from us, from our country.” Like if someone might go and grab that dingo stone, the dingo will be crawling too much. There might be no one left to take that flower we cut from Lurpulla. That country, Lurpulla, is my young brother and I’m his big sister.
My father looked after 3 countries, Lurpulla, Atnangkere and Alhalkere. I want to be like that too. I’ll be boss for them 3 countries, because those other people they don’t stand up. Painting helps me be the boss and to tell my story and dreaming. If I passed away my family can do painting like this. My grandchildren when they grow big.