Roy Marika

Roy Dadaynga Marika MBE (c.1925 – 1993) was an Aboriginal Australian artist and Indigenous rights activist. He was a member of the Marika family, brother of Mawalan 1 Marika, Mathaman Marika, Milirrpum Marika[1] and Dhunggala Marika.[2]

He was the leader of the Rirratjingu clan of the Yolngu people from 1970 onwards, and the president of the Yirrkala Village Council on the Gove Peninsula in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. The Marikas were involved in Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd (named after Roy's older brother Milirrpum, also known as the Gove land rights case). All five were politically active for the rights of the Indigenous Australians, and four of them were well-known Aboriginal artists.[1] Roy and his four brothers led the other clans in presenting the Yirrkala bark petitions to the Australian Government, in the lead-up to the Gove land rights case.[3][2]

He acted in two films: Werner Herzog's Where the Green Ants Dream (1984), and Banduk (1985).[4][5]

Roy's daughter was Raymattja Marika [citation needed] and his son is Banula Marika.[6]

  1. ^ a b "The Marika family [Exhibition notes from Yalangbara: Art of the Djang'kawu]". National Museum of Australia. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2020. Includes short bios of: Mawalan 1 Marika (c. 1908–1967), Mathaman Marika (c. 1920–1970), Milirrpum Marika (c. 1923–1983), Roy Dadaynga Marika MBE (c. 1925–1993), Wandjuk Djuwakan Marika OBE (1929–1987), Banduk Marika (1954–2021), Dhuwarrwarr Marika (born c.1946), Wanyubi Marika (born 1967),Yalmay Gurrwun (Marika) Yunupingu (born 1956), Mawalan 2 Marika (born 1957), Jimmy Barrmula Yunupingu (born 1963) (son of Dhuwarrwarr Marika).
  2. ^ a b "Leaders in law, business and community". Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations. Retrieved 28 July 2021. ...five Rirratjingu brothers took action. Mawalan Marika, Mathaman Marika, Milirrpum Marika, Dhunggala Marika and Roy Dadaynga Marika led the 13 Yirrkala clans to create the Yirrkala bark petitions.
  3. ^ "Our Campaign". Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation. 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  4. ^ Roy Marika at IMDb
  5. ^ Guest, Sarah (22 September 2016) [1986]. "The parakeet connection". Cinema Papers: 52. Retrieved 25 July 2021 – via Issuu.
  6. ^ "Banula Marika". Bangarra Knowledge Ground. Retrieved 26 July 2021.