FAQs
Who are we?
Who owns Jatu Maya?
Jatu Maya is a 100% owned and incorporated Australian Aboriginal Company. We’re also proud to say that we’re a family company, owned by a father and his two daughters, all of Martu heritage.
Did you start Jatu Maya and how did it come about?
We sure did! Jatu Maya is actually a sister company of Jatu Clothing & PPE, who have been in business for over a decade. While running Jatu Clothing, we saw the opportunity to help bring artists’ designs to life on products for the general public.
Why did you start Jatu Maya?
We believe that we can help empower these artists to continue bringing their art and their stories to life, while also ensuring that they have a steady stream of income.
Contact us
Please click here to see our contact page where you can use the form to contact us or see our other communication details.
Licensing and Royalties
How do you license the artworks?
We license all of our artworks under a standard agreement, based on the Arts Law templates, for Non-Exclusive use.
Why does Jatu Maya use Non-Exclusive licences?
At Jatu Maya, we believe that there are two benefits to our licenses. Firstly, it helps get the Artist’s name out there so that their art is worth more and secondly, it means they have an additional stream of income so that they can focus on doing what they love, rather than feeling like they have to mass produce artworks just to make ends meet.
Because it’s about helping the creation of art and the sharing of the culture and history of the First Nation’s people, we don’t want to limit their ability to license their artwork elsewhere. We want them to have the best possible return on their art so that they can focus on helping maintain cultural heritage and knowledge through their artwork.
That sounds great, but what are they actually getting paid?
We know that it’s nearly impossible to find an answer to this most of the time, whether it’s a “profit share” or a “fair share to the artist” or some other description to avoid saying an actual number. That’s why we use a standard template for our artists, so you know exactly what they’re getting, without any hidden fees.
All Artists receive an upfront fee of $500 for any license, plus another $150 for each additional product type that has the same artwork. So if we make a shirt and a scarf from the same artwork, we’ll pay $650 upfront.
Unlike other agreements, this isn’t an advance on their royalties, it’s a payment to recognise the time they spend working with us to make sure that the final design for the merchandise respects their art and their culture.
In addition, there is an an ongoing royalty for every item they sell, which is a royalty of 10% of the RRP. That means if the shirt normally retails at $50, they’ll get $5.
If it’s on sale at $25, they’ll still get $5, guaranteed by the contract, because our commercial decisions don’t make their artwork worth any less.
As we branch out into other items, like prints, we will have different royalty rates, but once we start making those other items, you’ll be the first (well, second behind the artist!) to know what that rate is.
Why royalties and not a profit share?
That’s an easy one: it’s transparent and the artist knows exactly what they’re getting, and so do you.
We’ve found that most of our competitors either promise the artists a share of the profits, but won’t tell you how it’s calculated or what charges they might be passing on first, or that they say they simply pay the artists fairly, but won’t say what “fairly” is or what that actually means in dollar figures.
That’s why we chose a royalty method, it’s simple to calculate, there’s no hidden costs and no confusion. It’s an easy to understand figure that the Artist can decide if they think it’s fair, that the customer can decide if they think it’s fair to the Artist, and the value is always the same, regardless of any promotions or sales.
Orders & Shipping
How do I set up an account?
You can set up an account by going to the account icon () in the top right and once the Login page loads, simply go down to “Create Account” at the bottom and fill in the required information.
How do I see my previous orders?
Once you log into your account, you should land on the “My Account” page and it should be on the left under “Order History”. You can always return to the “My Account” page by clicking the person icon ().
Can I try it on?
As we are an online shop only, we are unable to provide for an opportunity to try on our products. Please see all of our sizing charts located here, as some variation may exist between products.
Can I pick it up from the warehouse?
At this stage, we’re an online only business so we can only offering shipping.
Wholesale pricing
We are not wholesaling our goods at the moment but if you’re a store looking to stock our goods, please contact us about taking on our goods under consignment. If you are looking for wholesale pricing because you want to update your work’s uniform, please get in touch with our sister company at sales@jatuclothing.com and they will be able to help you come up with something custom just for you.
Payment methods
Currently we only take payments via Visa, Mastercard or Amex. We are always looking at what other methods we can offer our customers and hope to have more options soon.
How do I change my order?
If you’ve made a mistake with your order, please contact us and tell us know what the issue is. If it’s the wrong size or design, we can easily change the order before we ship it, just let us know what the correct item was.
Can I check the availability?
Our store is set up so that if you can put it in the cart, it’s available. If we don’t have any in stock, you will see the “Notify Me” button. If you click that and fill in the details, we will get in touch with you when it’s coming back in stock.
How do I use my coupon?
Once you’re ready to place your order, head to your cart and click “Check Out”. On the panel on the righthand side, you should see the items you’ve ordered and a box where you can enter a discount code. Once you’ve entered the code, simply press “Apply” and your order will update.
How many coupons can I use?
Only one discount coupon can be applied per order.
Where does Jatu Maya ship to?
We ship to all parts of Australia and we also ship internationally.
Does Jatu Maya ship internationally?
Yes, we do, please just get in contact with us so we can arrange a shipping quote for you.
>Flat Rate Express Post Shipping
We have a simple $12 flat rate for all shipping and every order goes out via Express Post.
Delivery times
We use Australia Post for our shipping. Please see their current domestic shipping times here: https://auspost.com.au/service-updates/domestic-delivery-times or international shipping times: https://auspost.com.au/service-updates/international-delivery-times. Note that we are shipping from Perth, Western Australia.
Refund, Returns and Exchange Policy
Can I return my item?
We love our products and hope you will too, but we know that ordering online can be a bit of a guess. That’s why we will refund any item that is unworn and unwashed (with tags on), as long as it is within 45 days of purchase. We’re happy to offer store credit or a refund, just let us know what your preference is.
All you’ll need to do is put your items in a parcel (the one we sent it out is reusable), add a shipping label, and drop it off in Australia Post.
Please note that facemasks, drink bottles, socks, and coffee cups cannot be returned, purely for hygiene reasons, except if it is damaged or faulty, in which case we’re happy to refund your purchase.
Can I exchange my item?
Wrong size? Doesn’t look as good on you as you thought it would? Be kind to yourself, we reckon you look great in it, but we are happy to exchange it for store credit or for another product of equal or lesser value.
What if it’s faulty or damaged?
If it’s been damaged either by us or in transit, we are happy to provide a full refund, just sent us a photo of the damage at returns@jatumaya.com.au. We’ll provide a refund or send out a replacement at no cost, whichever you prefer.
We may also send you out a return shipping label so you can send it back at no expense to yourself, just so we can see what went wrong and continue to improve our products or if we need to double check the condition.
If it’s general wear or tear or it’s clear that it’s been damaged by the customer, then we are unable to refund it.
How to return an item?
Simply just get in contact with us at orders@jatumaya.com.au and let us know what the issue is and what you’d like to do (return, refund, or exchange). Then just send it back to us at:
Returns
Jatu Maya
3/8 Cohn Street
Carlisle WA 6101
Once we get it, we’ll check over the items and get in touch with you about the next steps.
If it is faulty or damaged, simply just take a photo and attach it to your email when you get in contact with us, so we can see what’s happened and send out a return shipping label.
Products
Printed or Embroidered Cotton shirts
All our cotton shirts are GOTS certified 100% organic cotton, manufactured in Indonesia. We love them because they use less water than normal cotton, it’s a natural material that can be recycled, and helps maintain the quality of the land being farmed.
Being a natural material, printed with non-toxic inks, it will fade slightly, but we recommend the following care instructions to help it last:
Gentle wash in cold
Line dry in the shade
Avoid tumble drying
Cool iron on the reverse side
Ecovero shirts
Viscose is a semi-synthetic fiber, such as Rayon, and is known for being comfortable and holding its colours well. However, while its made from wood pulp, it has to be dissolved in a chemical solution and that can be a problem from energy, water and chemical point of views.
That’s why we’re happy to say that we use Ecovero, which is made using sustainable wood from controlled sources, and all of the chemicals are recovered and reused. This means it uses at least 50% less water and emits at least 50% less CO2.
We love it because it takes and holds the colours well, feels great, and doesn’t involve any plastic.
Sublimated shirts
After testing multiple printing methods, we found that only sublimated shirts were able to provide the right colours for certain artworks. While we don’t love polyester, and we’ll continue to look for alternatives, to get the right result for the art, sublimation is the only option and that has to be done on polyester.
However, we didn’t want to just throw our hands in the air and say “oh well”, so that’s why all of our sublimated shirts are 100% recycled, so we’re not adding to the amount of polyester in the world.
Buttons
All of the buttons on our shirts are made from either wood or shell, so that your shirt is as nice for the environment as it is for you.
Recycled and Natural Materials
We are currently investigating all available options to use recycled or natural materials for our products. Currently only the sublimated shirts are made from a recycled material, but we’re working with our suppliers to have every item be recycled or made from a natural material.
Where do they come from?
We source our products direct from the manufacturers, located in Indonesia, to ensure we can get the artwork printed exactly how it needs to be.
We are always on the lookout for Australian made products and we hope to have some available soon, but we want our products to be affordable to as many people as possible, to celebrate our art and culture.
We are delighted to say that one of the manufacturers that we use is currently going through the process of becoming Fair Trade certified and the other is a SA8000:2014 ethically certified printer & clothing factory who also use water based and Oeko-Tex Eco Passport certified inks.
Can you design something for my business?
Absolutely! Our sister company, Jatu Clothing & PPE, has been wholesaling to businesses for more than a decade, including some fantastic designs, and would love to help you. Please get in contact with us and we can walk you through the options.
I love this design, but does it come on any other products?
If there’s a design that you like, but you’d like it on a product that’s not listed, please get in contact with us. We’re always updating our ranges, so it may be something that is on the way already.
Packaging
All of our products are shipped in tissue paper and closed with a sticker, inside of the mailer. Both the tissue paper and the stickers are made from FSC Certified paper, while they are also acid free and use soy-based inks, which means you can recycle them or put them in your home compost.
Community
Artist Support
Every licensed design on this site is licensed under a contract that ensures that the artist receives fair compensation for each and every item sold, ensuring they receive ongoing royalties for the use of their designs.
Indigenous Art Code
The Indigenous Art Code is a system designed to preserve and promote ethical trading in Indigenous art. Jatu Maya is proud to voluntarily comply with this Code and is currently awaiting on the results of our membership application.
The purpose of the Code is to ensure:
Fair and ethical trade in artwork;
Transparency in the process of promotion and sale of artwork; and
That disputes arising under the code are dealt with efficiently and fairly
Read more about the code at https://indigenousartcode.org
Arts Law
The Arts Law Centre of Australia is the only national community centre for arts. It also runs the Artists in Black service, providing legal assistance and advice to Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and communities.
Art centres locations
Art centres perform a critical function in allowing artists to earn a living while remaining their communities. They also help protect the culture and ensure ethical dealings, as well as providing a source of education for the public.
A list of Aboriginal Art Centres can be found here: https://aachwa.com.au/art-and-art-centres