From the Bukarikara

Butcher Joe Nangan was one of those charismatic people who exercised a most profound impact on all who met him.

Having spent his life acquiring the ritual knowledge and lore, not only of his own Nyikina and Walmajarri forbears but also that pertaining to the lands of his neighbours, Nangan believed that he could, through his art; present his world to a wider audience.

With pencil, paint and pocket knife Nangan deftly depicted the artefacts, legends and history of his country.

The legends that Nangan relates and illustrates provide a traditional explanation on how his world came to be. Nangan also records the often-brutal history of the frontier experience and the clash of cultures as Europeans began to encroach on Aboriginal lands.

Possibly one of the most prolific of Australia’s Indigenous artists Nangan left a record unparalled of a world at the cusp — a world that would soon fade and vanish as time moved on.

About the Author

Kim Akerman has been involved in Australian Aboriginal studies since 1967. He has worked in the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority and the Public Health Department of WA and served as Curator in three Australian museums. Kim has sat on a various Grant Committees within AIATSIS and has also been involved in the repatriation of ancestral remains and cultural materials to Indigenous communities.