Dolly Nampijinpa Daniels

Dolly Nampijinpa Daniels (1936–2004) was an Australian Aboriginal ritual leader, Warlipiri speaker, renowned artist, and land -rights advocate for the Warlipiri people of the Northern Territory.

Early life Dolly Nampijinpa Daniels was born in 1936 The meaning of home for Daniels encompassed both the geographical and social landscapes of her home country.

Daniels lived for many years as a traditional nomad, hunting with her family, before moving with her husband to Mt. Doreen station after the death of her father and then onto Yuendumu, an area approximately 300 km north-west of Alice Springs. Alongside a number of Warlipiri people, she was forcibly removed from these lands by authorities and trucked to Lajamanu, another government settlement, but eventually made the journey back to Yuendumu where they settled. and was recognised as ‘boss’ for the women’s ceremonies in her area. She was once described by Galarrwuy Yunupingu as a person “that doesn’t talk much, but had a strong presence and knows who she is and what she’s doing”. Her paintings adhere very strongly to traditional templates for painting, but creativity can be seen in the handling of the painting, arrangement of the motifs and size and placement of the dots. Her work is made most distinguishable due to their bright colours and intricate patterns. Her works celebrate Australian Aboriginal Dreaming and culture and thoroughly invoked the Warlipiri concepts of ‘country’, ‘home’ and ‘camp’ in her work. She painted both her own and her father’s dreamings and states “it is our story - Aboriginal people’s story”.

In her mission to promote Warlpiri culture, Daniels helped found and subsequently chair the Warlukurlangu Artists Association and Art Centre, which continues to thrive as one of the longest running and most successful Aboriginal-owned art centres in Central Australia.

Exhibitions Daniels’ first exhibited her work in 1985 at the Araluen Arts Centre in Alice Springs. It was from here that she gained world-renowned acclaim. Her major exhibitions and collaborations are listed below : “Biennale Celebration”, 1993, Sydney. Aratjara Indigenous Art, Kunstsammlung Norhrheinwestphalein, Düsseldorf, 1993. “Ngurra” (camp/home/country), 1994, Dolly Nampijinpa Daniels/Anne Mosey Collaboration.

Influences One of the major influences on Daniels’ art has been collaborator, Anne Mosey, also a renowned artist. The pair first met in Central Australia in 1989 and exchanged ideas on modes of representing country and the cultural meaning behind such practices. They have collaborated on several internationally recognised projects, whilst still remaining faithful to their own cultures.

Land rights activism

Daniels was also a proud land rights activist who was particularly interested in the rights of Indigenous Australian people and their lands. She fought strongly for the rights of Aboriginal Australians to have access to their land in order to live a traditional and sustainable way of life. In her work she maintained strong ties to the Central Land Council and was a key participant in the famous land claims of 1976 and 1984, which returned large tracts of the Central Australian desert back to the Warlpiri people.

In her service to the community, Daniels was a loyal member of the Yuendumu night patrol, as locals were concerned about the way in which Aboriginal issues become processed through bureaucracies.

Death Dolly Nampijinpa Daniels died of cancer in November 2004 surrounded by her kin.