Milirrpum Marika (1923 – 7 November 1983), also known as Jacky and also referred to simply as Milirrpum, was a Yolngu artist and community leader from East Arnhem Land,

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

of Australia. He was best known for his involvement in the landmark court case ''

Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd ''Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd'', also known as the Gove land rights case because its subject was land known as the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory, was the first litigation on native title in Australia, and the first significant legal ...

'' (1971), aka the Gove land rights case, which was the first significant legal case for Indigenous land right and native title in Australia and led to the federal '' Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976''. He was the younger brother of artists and activists Mawalan 1 Marika and Mathaman Marika, with Roy Dadaynga Marika being the next youngest, and there was also a sister, Dhunggala. The family belongs to the

Rirratjingu The Dangu (Dhaŋu, Dhangu) are an Aboriginal Australian people of Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory, one of many Yolŋu peoples. They are, according to Norman Tindale, to be carefully distinguished from the Djaŋu. Two prominent clans ...

clan of the Dhuwa moiety, and lived at Yirrkala. His country is Yalangbara, and language Dhangu. He produced most of his artworks after 1960, which were represented in exhibitions during his lifetime and are held in several collections today, although due to his other commitments he was not as prolific an artist as his brothers. His media included using

ochre Ochre ( ; , ), iron ochre, or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colou ...

s in bark paintings, and his special themes were Djambuwal the Thunderman, and the creation story of the Djang'kawu sisters. Milirrpum and his four brothers led the other clans in presenting the Yirrkala bark petitions to the

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive consists of the pr ...

, in the lead-up to the Gove case. He was an important community leader who led clan ceremonies from the 1970s until his death, with younger brother Roy taking over his duties in 1983. He died on 7 November 1983. His son is Wanyubi Marika (born 1967), also an artist.

Collections

Marika's work is held in the following galleries: * Berndt Museum of Anthropology,

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* Buku-Larrnggay Arts Museum, Yirrkala * Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin * National Gallery of Victoria,

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* Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery,

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

* Kelton Foundation,

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, U.S.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marika, Milirrpum 1920s births Year of birth uncertain 1983 deaths Australian Aboriginal artists 20th-century Australian artists Artists from the Northern Territory Australian indigenous rights activists