Ngururrpa sits within country in which some of the earliest evidence of human occupation in Australia has been found. Ancient creeks flow east from the ranges into seasonal swamps that make for fertile hunting and foraging areas. These multiple resources of food, shelter, wood, and water drew people together in hard times, giving them the tools and food to live comfortably and practice ceremony for thousands of years.

Peoples of the Walmajarri, Wangkatjunga, Ngarti  and Kukatja language groups have called their country Ngururrpa. Ngururrpa means 'our Country in the middle'. The Ngururrpa Indigenous Protected Area (Ngururrpa IPA) was declared in October 2020. It covers the entire determination area over which the native title holders have exclusive possession.

In the centre of Ngururrpa IPA, rock engravings have been recorded dating back over 12,000 years. Today, Ngururrpa Rangers follow Tjukurrpa to manage country. The people lived a traditional lifestyle in the area until around the 1950s. Some elders remember seeing white people for the first time. They were left alone more than some of the surrounding groups, owing to the type of land offering poor grazing for European livestock, and there are no mines in the area.

Determination:

Consent determinations –

18 October 2007