Three Anangu women of different generations tell the story of how donkeys came to be malpa wiru, valuable friends and helpers, to families in the desert community of Pukatja (Ernabella) in the APY Lands of northern South Australia. At first wary of these strange animals, Anangu quickly became fond of the donkeys. They would set off on them for picnics and longer journeys, always returning home safely. With the arrival of cars, people’s relationship with donkeys changed. But one special donkey found a different way to remain a good friend to people in Pukatja.
Language Pitjantjatjara
Director & Animator Jonathan Daw
Cultural Director Tjunkaya Tapaya OAM
Storytellers Akitiya Angkuna Tjitayi, Imuna Kenta, Anne Karatjari Ward
Tangki Tjuta – Donkeys, a dual language children’s picture book based on Tangki, is available to purchase here.
This film was supported by the Australian Government’s Indigenous Languages and the Arts program.
We invite you to enjoy our animations and consider a donation to support the work that we do across 26 communities in the tri-state border region of NT, SA and WA – a geographically-remote, high-cost region, but where creativity shines brightly.
