Talk:Wintjiya Napaltjarri

Request for clarification
The article was today tagged with a request for clarification regarding that status of Wintjiya and her sister Tjunkiya's marriages to a Tjakamarra. The request states: "Was this a polygynous marriage? If not, at least one must presumably be a former wife, not a widow.  If polygynous, should be made clear here and in lead para". While the request for clarification is understandable, the text cannot go beyond what is stated in the reliable sources. I don't think any of the sources actually state it was polygynous. One source, quoted in another context later in the article, does however refer to "...the widows' camp ouside her 'son' Turkey Tolson's former residence." Note the plural of widows. Accordingly, I am changing the lead to say "both were wives of", and adding a cite where the article text says "both are widows of Toba Tjakamarra", then removing the clarification tag. Any questions, let me know. hamiltonstone (talk) 03:10, 18 January 2011 (UTC)


 * I'm not sure why you think the fact that the widows' camp is close to Turkey Tolson's residence should result in a change to the text? Unless you think "the widows" refers specifically to Wintjiya and Tjunkiya? A "widows' camp" is a place found in every Central Australian Aboriginal community of any size (or at least, all that I've been to), and is a place where widows typically live, and other women often hang out (no man will go there). Dougg (talk) 09:12, 18 January 2011 (UTC)
 * I had assumed it referred to these two women in particular, given it was outside Turkey Tolson's place (probably my westerner's POV on family relations). Any idea if it was likely to have been polygynous (as I know some others were)? hamiltonstone (talk) 10:51, 18 January 2011 (UTC)

Tjunkiya and Wintjiya were the second and third wives of Toba Tjakamarra; the first was Nganyima Napaltjarri, who was Turkey Tolson's mother. Polygynous marriages were the norm in most Indigenous Australian societies, and still are in some areas. Details about the family relations can be found in Vivien Johnson's Lives of the Papunya Tula Artists (Alice Springs: IAD Press, 2008), pp. 163, 305, and 307.Will Owen (talk) 18:02, 3 August 2012 (UTC)
 * THank you; I;ve edited the text accordingly. hamiltonstone (talk) 08:08, 4 August 2012 (UTC)