Ninu Grandmothers’ Law

Nura Nungalka Ward was a Yankunytjatjara woman from the Central Desert. Nura was born during a time when Central Desert people were leaving their homelands and entering a society they did not know. She was born at Katjikatji and spent her early years living at Ernabella. She was continually running away to join her parents, who were station workers, as she preferred living in the bush and being connected to country.

Ninu Grandmothers’ Law is a definitive account of a traditional lifestyle and way of thinking. Accompanied by exceptional archival photographs, it is an evocative, compelling chronicle and cultural philosophy of a time almost forgotten. Part biography, part customs manual and food guide, part traditional social history and women’s customs and governance, it is a rare testament to one woman’s advocacy for her family, people and culture.