Butcher Cherel Janangoo

Butcher Cherel Janangoo was born around 1920 at Jainaganjoowa, an area near the original homestead of one of the longest established cattle stations in the Kimberley, Fossil Downs. He now lives in the town of Fitzroy Crossing.

Janangoo’s mother was Kija and his father Gooniyandi. He speaks both languages as well as some Walmajarri and Bunuba. He has vivid memories of being taken “out bush” as a child and going walkabout at law time. As both of his parents worked on the station in and around the homestead, it follows that Janangoo also spent most of his working life on Fossil. As a stockman he worked cattle, droving from Fitzroy Crossing to Derby and Broome. He remembers this as being a difficult job: “real hard.”

Janangoo is a key elder of the Gooniyandi language group and has been instrumental in the retention of law ceremony at Luludja Community. He sees Aboriginal law and language as fundamentally important and feels uneasy that young people today do not have this tradition to refer to as they have not been educated as he was.

Janangoo’s works provide glimpses of his cultural and physical environment. As he stated: “with my eyes, my heart and with my brain I am thinking. When I go to sleep night time, I might ask myself ah, I might do (paint) that one tomorrow, not dreaming; I think about what to do next.”

Biography courtesy of the Australian Art Print Network, 2001.
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