thomas was born in the desert of western australia sometime in the 1960s. he and his family lived a traditional nomadic way of life on the western side of lake mackay. they had never come into contact with european society. most other pintupi families had been settled in remote towns to the east and west of their traditional country during the 1950s. thomas' father, lanti (or "joshua"), had lived for a short time at the mission in balgo, but he had run away after getting into trouble for stealing food. it was his decision to stay in the desert, and kept his family far away from the towns.