Who Are the Pintupi?
The Pintupi are an Aboriginal Australian people numbering approximately 3,000-4,000, traditionally inhabiting the Western Desert of central Australia (spanning Western Australia, Northern Territory, and South Australia borders). The Pintupi were among the last Aboriginal groups to maintain traditional nomadic lifestyle, with final contact occurring in 1984 when the "Pintupi Nine" walked out of the desert. Traditional Pintupi were nomadic hunter-gatherers with deep Dreamtime spirituality tied to their land. The Pintupi gained international recognition for founding the Papunya Tula art movement in 1971, creating distinctive dot paintings representing Dreamtime stories. Modern Pintupi live in remote communities including Kintore and Kiwirrkurra (Australia's most remote permanent settlement), navigating between traditional culture and contemporary Australia while maintaining strong connection to ancestral lands and cultural practices.