Betty Mula

*1973, Imanpa, NT

Betty was born in Imanpa, a small community just east of Uluru. Betty’s first language was Pitjantjatjara, but she also grew up amongst Luritja, Warlpiri and Yakunytjatjara people whom all lived together around Imanpa and Mt Ebenezer Station. Betty lived in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) for a few years to attend secondary school before moving to Mimili Community as a young woman.

In Mimili, Betty met her husband Teddy Wangin, a traditional owner for Mimili. With Teddy, Betty had three children and four grandchildren. When the children were growing up, Betty focused on passing down traditional knowledge about bushfoods and reading the signs of country. Betty is renown in Mimili Community for having deep knowledge of where to gather bushtucker, for finding tinka (goanna) and making irmangka-irmangka (healing balm). She is an apt navigator of country, and has thorough knowledge of the many different punu (trees) and plants, and their healing, cultural and nutritional properties.

In her artwork, Betty depicts elements of this intimate knowledge of her family’s country.