The release of Godaku Tjukurpa (God’s Story) marks the fulfilment of a long-held dream by the late Nami Kulyuru, an artist and respected Pitjantjatjara Bible translator. Nami envisioned a children’s Bible that would tell Bible stories through Anangu art, capturing the imagination of her grandchildren and other young Pitjantjatjara readers.
Despite her battle with an aggressive brain tumour, Nami devoted her final days to painting these Bible stories, committed to leaving a legacy for future generations. Though Nami passed away in 2022, Christian Pitjantjatjara translators and artists worked to complete Godaku Tjukurpa, a book that brings together beautiful traditional illustrations and storytelling. Friend and fellow translator, Jennifer Ingkatji, shares that “My friend did this, my daughter. She told us about it, and we absolutely finished it for her, this idea, this plan of hers, we’ve completed it, the paintings we’ve finished. Now the book is finally here for children to look at, to understand, to read, and to explore the illustrations.”
This desire to make the Bible accessible to Pitjantjatjara children in a way that resonates with their culture fuelled Nami’s vision and this project. She first shared her dream of creating this children’s picture Bible with fellow translator, David Barnett, remarking that Pitjantjatjara people can tell a whole story on a single canvas. One artwork can depict the entirety of a narrative — all the important locations, as well as the order of the events.
Pitjantjatjara translator and artist, Tjikatu Burton explains how this project changed her thinking about Bible translation, “We adults have been translating God’s story only for older people! But He showed [Nami] that it’s for children as well, and so now they have come together and made this book.” Children can now look at this book and realise, “‘Oh wow, Jesus truly is for us, for children as well,’” she says.
Godaku Tjukurpa contains 54 paintings and descriptions in Pitjantjatjara and English. After three years of work, this children’s Bible has been published and released to the public through Koorong. The illustrated Bible was dedicated in November 2024 at Emmaus Christian College, South Australia, and presented as a gift to the artists and translators who worked on the project.
Acclaimed artist, Nyunmiti Burton highlights the significance of this publication by emphasising that “we’re to teach our children, families [are to teach them], and friends, and even schools as well are there to teach them, to truly know who Jesus is so when our children grow up they will later on live like him, and so that the next generations that come from them will grow and know Jesus.” She notes that, “at the moment that’s not happening, but now having seen this book we’re just so happy, and we’re thanking God. You see my daughter Nami left behind a plan, this is her vision for the children, she was seeing that later on we all would teach the children.”
Godaku Tjukurpa has been received with open arms in the Pitjantjatjara community, and the broader community across Australia since its release. Tjikatu notes that “this book is really important, it’s strengthening us as well, you see we’re grandmothers and grandfathers, maybe we’re daughters and sons, grandparents. And now these as well, when the children learn these stories – they as well will now learn about God from a young age.”
This project has been supported by the Iwiri Aboriginal Corporation, Emmaus Christian College, and Bible Society Australia supporters. Godaku Tjukurpa is now available to purchase at Koorong for $29.99. Proceeds from the book go toward future Pitjantjatjara translation resources.
