Raymattja Marika
Encyclopedia
Raymattja Marika was an Australia
n Yolngu
aboriginal
leader, scholar, educator, translator, linguist, grandmother and cultural advocate. She was a Director of Reconciliation Australia
and a member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
. She was also a director of the Yothu Yindi Foundation and a participant in the 2020 Summit, which was held in April 2008. Marika advocated understanding and reconciliation between Aboriginal and Western cultures.
Marika was the eldest daughter of Roy Marika, a prominent leader in the land rights
campaign for Australian Aborigines
. She was also the niece of painter
and actor
Wandjuk Marika
(OBE). She was born into the Rirratjingu clan of the Yolngu
Indigenous Australians
of the Northern Territory
of Australia
. She lost a leg to cancer when she was young. She graduated and held degrees from the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
and Melbourne University. Marika was a native of Yirrkala, Northern Territory
in Arnhem Land
.
. Many of her writings appeared in nationwide and she lectured throughout Australia. She devoted her professional career to educations and worked to bridge the gap between Australia's aboriginal society's, especially her native Yolngu
, and the wider English-speaking
mainstream
society
. She taught at Charles Darwin University
in Darwin
, which awarded her an honorary doctorate.
Marika was considered a leading expert of Yolngu customs
and languages in northeast Arnhem Land
, including the community of Yirrkala and the Gove Peninsula
. She was considered to be an expert in the inner workings and history of the Yolngu clan
systems of Arnhem Land. Marika, herself, was a member of the Rirratjingu clan of the Yolngu people. She also worked to preserve the traditional storytelling of the Yolngu, often comparing the morals and insights of Yolngu traditions with ideas from the Western world
.
Marika understood the pressures placed on the Yolngu's small language group, called Yolŋu Matha, due to bauxite
mining
in the area, which commenced during the 20th century. She worked as a linguist to prevent the extinction of her people's indigenous languages. Pertaining to the languages of her own clan, Marika understood all fourteen languages of the Rirratjingu clan, and spoke three of these Rirratjingu languages fluently. She later helped to develop a traditional language curriculum
for Yolngu children to preserve local languages.
Marika also focused much of her attention on her native community of Yirrkala. She co-founded the Dhimurru Land Management Aboriginal Corporation, a land management
group, in 1992 with her late husband, Mununggurritj, and remained the group's cultural adviser for many years.
Raymattja Marika was awarded two awards for her work in 2006 by the National Australia Day Council
: the Territorian of the Year award and the Northern Territory's Australian of the Year Award.
Barbara Livesey, the current head of Reconciliation Australia, said that Marika had made massive contributions to Aboriginal affairs across the country, "While we know that she did much work in her community, at the national level she was just a tireless worker for reconciliation
and for building understanding between non-Indigenous people, Yolngu people and other Indigenous people." Syd Stirling
, the MP
for Nhulunbuy in Northern Territory, also paid tribute to Marika saying, "She really was a bridge between the two cultures out here. Dr Marika endeared herself to all of us as a mentor
, reconciliation advocate, a passionate and gifted educator, academic, interpreter, translator and a wonderful mother." Jenny Macklin
, who is Australia's Minister for Indigenous Affairs
, also called Marika the "embodiment of reconciliation."
According to Yolngu cultural traditions, Marika can only be referred to by her last name following her death for cultural reasons. This is why those paying tribute to Marika did not use her full name.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Yolngu
Yolngu
The Yolngu or Yolŋu are an Indigenous Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Yolngu means “person” in the Yolŋu languages.-Yolŋu law:...
aboriginal
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
leader, scholar, educator, translator, linguist, grandmother and cultural advocate. She was a Director of Reconciliation Australia
Reconciliation Australia
Reconciliation Australia is the non-government, not-for-profit foundation established in January 2001 to provide a continuing national focus for reconciliation. It was established by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation...
and a member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies is an independent Australian Government statutory authority. It is Australia's premier institution for information about the cultures and lifestyles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is located on Acton...
. She was also a director of the Yothu Yindi Foundation and a participant in the 2020 Summit, which was held in April 2008. Marika advocated understanding and reconciliation between Aboriginal and Western cultures.
Marika was the eldest daughter of Roy Marika, a prominent leader in the land rights
Land rights
Land law is the form of law that deals with the rights to use, alienate, or exclude others from land. In many jurisdictions, these species of property are referred to as real estate or real property, as distinct from personal property. Land use agreements, including renting, are an important...
campaign for Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
. She was also the niece of painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Wandjuk Marika
Wandjuk Marika
Wandjuk Marika OBE, born 1927, died 1987, was an Australian Aboriginal painter, actor, composer and land rights activist. He was a member of the Riratjingu clan of the Yolngu people of north-east Arnhem Land, Northern Australia...
(OBE). She was born into the Rirratjingu clan of the Yolngu
Yolngu
The Yolngu or Yolŋu are an Indigenous Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Yolngu means “person” in the Yolŋu languages.-Yolŋu law:...
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
of the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. She lost a leg to cancer when she was young. She graduated and held degrees from the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education provides training and further education , and higher education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is based in Batchelor, Northern Territory in Australia...
and Melbourne University. Marika was a native of Yirrkala, Northern Territory
Yirrkala, Northern Territory
Yirrkala is a well-known indigenous community in Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia, at , 18 km South-East from the large mining town of Nhulunbuy...
in Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
.
Activism
Marika became a scholar, translator, linguist and cultural defender for the rights of Indigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
. Many of her writings appeared in nationwide and she lectured throughout Australia. She devoted her professional career to educations and worked to bridge the gap between Australia's aboriginal society's, especially her native Yolngu
Yolngu
The Yolngu or Yolŋu are an Indigenous Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Yolngu means “person” in the Yolŋu languages.-Yolŋu law:...
, and the wider English-speaking
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
. She taught at Charles Darwin University
Charles Darwin University
Charles Darwin University is an Australian public university with about 20,000 students in 2007.The University offers a wide range of Higher Education degrees and Vocational Education and Training courses with flexible study options, including part-time, external and online.CDU has campuses in the...
in Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, which awarded her an honorary doctorate.
Marika was considered a leading expert of Yolngu customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
and languages in northeast Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
, including the community of Yirrkala and the Gove Peninsula
Gove Peninsula
The Gove Peninsula is at the northeastern corner of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. The peninsula became strategically important during World War II when an airforce base was constructed at what is now Gove Airport. The peninsula was named after Pilot Officer William Gove, who...
. She was considered to be an expert in the inner workings and history of the Yolngu clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
systems of Arnhem Land. Marika, herself, was a member of the Rirratjingu clan of the Yolngu people. She also worked to preserve the traditional storytelling of the Yolngu, often comparing the morals and insights of Yolngu traditions with ideas from the Western world
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
.
Marika understood the pressures placed on the Yolngu's small language group, called Yolŋu Matha, due to bauxite
Bauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
in the area, which commenced during the 20th century. She worked as a linguist to prevent the extinction of her people's indigenous languages. Pertaining to the languages of her own clan, Marika understood all fourteen languages of the Rirratjingu clan, and spoke three of these Rirratjingu languages fluently. She later helped to develop a traditional language curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
for Yolngu children to preserve local languages.
Marika also focused much of her attention on her native community of Yirrkala. She co-founded the Dhimurru Land Management Aboriginal Corporation, a land management
Land management
Land management is the process of managing the use and development of land resources. Land resources are used for a variety of purposes which may include organic agriculture, reforestation, water resource management and eco-tourism projects.-See also:*Sustainable land management*Acreage...
group, in 1992 with her late husband, Mununggurritj, and remained the group's cultural adviser for many years.
Raymattja Marika was awarded two awards for her work in 2006 by the National Australia Day Council
National Australia Day Council
The coordinating body for the Australian of the Year Awards and Australia Day celebrations across the nation is the National Australia Day Council ....
: the Territorian of the Year award and the Northern Territory's Australian of the Year Award.
Death
Marika suddenly died in Yirrkala in Northern Territory, while hunting with members of her family in the afternoon on Sunday, 11 May 2008. She was believed to have died from a sudden heart attack. She was just 49 years old when she died and was survived by her three children, whom she had with her late husband, Mununggurritj.Barbara Livesey, the current head of Reconciliation Australia, said that Marika had made massive contributions to Aboriginal affairs across the country, "While we know that she did much work in her community, at the national level she was just a tireless worker for reconciliation
Reconciliation
Reconciliation may variously refer to:* Bank reconciliation* Truth and reconciliation commission-Religion:* Sacrament of Penance , also known as Reconciliation...
and for building understanding between non-Indigenous people, Yolngu people and other Indigenous people." Syd Stirling
Syd Stirling
Sydney James "Syd" Stirling is a former Australian politician. He was the Labor member for Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 1990 to 2008....
, the MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Nhulunbuy in Northern Territory, also paid tribute to Marika saying, "She really was a bridge between the two cultures out here. Dr Marika endeared herself to all of us as a mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
, reconciliation advocate, a passionate and gifted educator, academic, interpreter, translator and a wonderful mother." Jenny Macklin
Jenny Macklin
Jennifer Louise Macklin , is an Australian politician. She is Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs in the Gillard Ministry...
, who is Australia's Minister for Indigenous Affairs
Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Family, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has been Jenny Macklin since December 2007.-Portfolio:...
, also called Marika the "embodiment of reconciliation."
According to Yolngu cultural traditions, Marika can only be referred to by her last name following her death for cultural reasons. This is why those paying tribute to Marika did not use her full name.