Rosalie Kunoth-Monks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rosalie Kunoth-Monks
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Kunoth-Monks in 1955
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| Born |
Rosalie Lynette Kunoth
4 January 1937 |
| Died | 26 January 2022 (aged 85) Alice Springs, Northern Territory
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| Other names | Ngarla Kunoth (screen name) Rosie (nickname) |
| Occupation | Actress, activist, politician |
Rosalie Lynette Kunoth-Monks (born January 4, 1937 – died January 26, 2022) was an important Australian woman. She was also known as Ngarla Kunoth. She was an actress, an Aboriginal activist, and a politician. She worked hard to make life better for Indigenous Australians.
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Early Life
Rosalie Lynette Kunoth was born on January 4, 1937. Her birthplace was Utopia, Northern Territory, also called Arapunya. Her parents belonged to the Anmatyerre people.
Her grandfather, Harry Kunoth, was from Germany. This is where her family name, Kunoth, comes from. He and her grandmother, Amelia Kunoth, helped run several large cattle stations in the Northern Territory.
Acting Career
In 1951, Rosalie was 14 years old. She was staying at St Mary's Hostel in Alice Springs. Filmmakers Charles and Elsa Chauvel met her there. They chose her to star in their 1955 film Jedda.
Her nickname was "Rosie." But the Chauvels changed her screen name to Ngarla Kunoth. She became the first Indigenous Australian woman to play the main character in a film. This important film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival 60 years later in 2015. Her experience in Jedda also inspired a play and a TV show called Burst of Summer.
Activism and Politics
From 1960, Rosalie spent 10 years as an Anglican nun. She lived in the Community of the Holy Name in Melbourne. After leaving the order, she married Bill Monks.
She then started working for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs. She helped set up the first home in Victoria for Aboriginal children. Rosalie and Bill had a daughter named Ngarla.
Later, she returned to the Alice Springs area. She worked for groups like Aboriginal Hostels Limited. She also worked for the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service. She helped the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.
The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory at the time, Paul Everingham, asked her to be an adviser. She gave advice on Aboriginal affairs. In 1980, Kunoth ran for election to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. She wanted to stop a dam from being built. This dam would have harmed land that was sacred to her people. She did not win that election.
However, she continued her work as an activist. She kept working to improve the lives of Indigenous people. In 1999, she became the vice chair of the council for the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education. Later, she became the chair of the council.
By 2008, she had moved back to the Utopia homelands. This area is about 260 km north-east of Alice Springs. In that same year, she became the president of Barkly Shire.
In August 2008, she spoke in Canberra for Amnesty International. She said that the government's actions in the Northern Territory were a "huge violation of human rights." She felt it was forcing Indigenous people off their land. She said it took away their chance to speak their own language. She also said it broke their connection to their culture.
Two months later, she spoke again. She said the government was trying to "starve us out of our home." She explained that they were not supporting Indigenous people to become self-sufficient. She asked, "If it's not ethnic cleansing, please let me know what is." Utopia is famous for its dot paintings. Rosalie said her community wanted to start its own cattle business. They also wanted to be a cultural center.
In the 2013 federal election, Kunoth-Monks tried to become a senator for the Northern Territory. She ran for the First Nations Political Party. She was not successful. In November 2014, Kunoth-Monks helped bring together Indigenous leaders. They met in Alice Springs to unite in a "Freedom Movement." They wanted to fight for their lands.
Media Appearances
On June 9, 2014, Rosalie Kunoth-Monks appeared on ABC TV's Q&A. During this show, she gave a powerful speech. She famously said, "I am not the problem."
Death
Rosalie Kunoth-Monks passed away in Alice Springs on January 26, 2022. She was 85 years old.
She was honored with a state funeral in Alice Springs on March 3, 2022. Hundreds of people attended to pay their respects. Michael Gunner, who was the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, started his speech with her famous words from the Q&A show: "Don't try and suppress me. I am not the problem. I have never left my country, nor have I ever ceded any part of it." Jeff Iversen, a Central Desert councillor, called her "a hero and a national treasure."
Recognition and Honours
- 1993 – She received the Medal of the Order of Australia. This was for her service to the Aboriginal community.
- March 8, 2007 (International Women's Day) – She was given a "Northern Territory Tribute to Women Award." This happened at the opening of the National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame in Alice Springs.
- June 26, 2014 – She received the Dr. Yunupingu Award for Human Rights. This was at the first National Indigenous Human Rights Awards.
- January 26, 2015 – She was a finalist for Australian of the Year. She had already been named Northern Territorian of the Year.
- July 10, 2015 – She was named NAIDOC Person of the Year during the NAIDOC Week celebrations.
- November 2015 – A tribute song called "She Came Along" was written about her. Paul "Nultatjarra" Dixon composed it.
