Trailblazing Rirratjiŋu clan leader and environmentalist M Marika dies in north-east Arnhem Land

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3 days ago

A senior Rirratjiŋu elder who devoted his life to protecting the natural environment and his people has died at 64 years old in north-east Arnhem Land.
Note to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers: M Marika's name and image are used here in accordance with the wishes of his family.
Guided by his country, culture and family, M Marika stood strong like the lonely rock in the sea off the coast of his Gove peninsula home.
He would draw on this metaphor of the rock to fuel what Gumatj clan leader Djawa Yunupiŋu described as Mr Marika's "unwavering love for his people", even in times of great personal loss and hardship.
The Rirratjiŋu Aboriginal Corporation (RAC) described Mr Marika as a respected statesman who "dedicated his life to the betterment of his people", expressing condolences to his family and the wider community as they enter sorry business.
"He was a cultural authority, community guide and voice of wisdom — deeply trusted across East Arnhem Land," the RAC said.
Mr Marika held leadership roles within the RAC, including as chair during what the corporation described as "critical times", and the body said his "humility and quiet strength will be deeply missed".
The senior Rirratjiŋu clan elder was known as a humble man and a peacemaker, whose contributions reached across many spheres.
Mr Marika was one of four founding land and sea rangers of the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation, an organisation he would rise through the ranks to lead over a more than 30-year career.
He was also a member of the Yothu Yindi Foundation's Dilak Council, made up of senior cultural leaders from each of the 13 Yolŋu clans.
He was recognised with numerous accolades including the NT National Resource Management Lifetime Achievement Award, Nhulunbuy's 2020 Australia Day Citizen Of the Year Award and a recent nomination for the NT's 2025 Local Hero Award.
The son of a well-respected land rights figure, Mr Marika was descended from Rirratjiŋu clan royalty.
He would go on to brush shoulders with the likes of royalty himself, hosting King Charles III during his visit to north-east Arnhem Land in 2018.
Mr Marika was guided by both his Christian faith and his deep foundation in his culture.
Mr Yunupiŋu, chairman of the Yothu Yindi Foundation, called Mr Marika a "guardian of land conservation, understanding deeply that caring for country is caring for culture, identity, and spirit".
"He was equally devoted to the social wellbeing of his community, working tirelessly to ensure that Yolŋu people had opportunities, support, and a strong sense of belonging and purpose," the Gumatj clan leader said in a statement.
Former Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Stephen Roeger said one of Mr Marika's "greatest achievements" was his push to develop a Learning on Country program, linking school curriculum to Yolŋu culture.
"There was a lot of concern about what was happening with youth, and concern about what their future prospects were and are," he said.
"The Learning on Country program was really about trying to create a pathway and to create that inspiration for future leadership and direction."
While Mr Marika had his "own history of struggle and grief", Mr Roeger said he overcame those challenges after making the decision to become a leader.
"My gäthu [Yolŋu kinship relation] was there from the very beginning," he said.
In recent years, Mr Marika experienced great tragedy, with the early deaths of both his son and grandson.
Despite the losses, he remained committed to training his surviving sons for leadership, so they could take up the mantle once he was gone.
Mr Marika is mourned by the Rirratjiŋu clan and throughout the broader East Arnhem Land community.