Community

Parnngurr community was founded by the Martu people in 1988 when they returned to their homelands. The Martu were some of the last aboriginal groups to come into contact with white people, most coming in from the desert in the 60s and 70s. The Martu are still very strong in their culture and traditions. Parnngurr Community is a vibrant dry community still rich in culture and language.

The Martu are of made up of people from language groups in the Western Desert. The main languages are Manyjilyjarra, Kartujarra, Warman and Putijarra. There are many other language groups in the area including Pudijarra, Kiyajarra and Nyiyaparli but are less common. The combination and amalgamation of these languages is called Martu Wangka (Meaning speak of the people). This is the first and main language of most of the people in Parnngurr.