David Miller

Pitjantjatjara Language Group

“Wati Ngintaka”

100 x 120cm

Ref No: DM13023

Wati ngintaka (perentie man from creation times) was travelling from Walyatina where he stole that grinding stone to Arran where he lived. He was chased by the linga (lizard people) all the way to Arran but he was playing tricks with them all the way. When wati ngintaka got to Arran he hid that grinding
stone and went out hunting. While he was out hunting the linga people found his camp and the grinding stone. Wati ngintaka heard the great commotion on his way back to his camp and when he got there the linga people speared him many times and cut his body up. His tail is still at Arran.

David Miller is a senior Pitjantjatjara man living at the remote
community settlement of Kanpi in the Western Desert of northern
South Australia. He was born around 1950 at Aparatjara, a traditional camping place 30 km east of Kanpi. As a child he lived around Inarki, a little further west and travelled with his family on foot over vast distances from Warburton in WA to Ernabella in SA for ceremonial occasions and the trading of dingo scalps for tea and flour.