Helen Samson is the younger sister of Lily Long and Amy French, but unlike her sisters, she was born in Jigalong mission and has no memory of her parents. She grew up in the dormitory at Jigalong, but spent her weekends and holidays in the bush with her extended family. Once married, she lived around Puntawarri, walking and hunting around there, and she also worked on Mundawindi and Sylvania Stations. She knows many places that her ancestors travelled in that area and greatly enjoys painting the stories for those places. She paints her traditional country around Karlamilyi and also places she has lived, such as Kapartila, Nyarungarku and Nyiyanguya, which are all significant water bodies around Puntawarri.