Witiyana Marika facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Witiyana Marika
Marika in 2020

Witiyana Marika is an Aboriginal Australian musician and filmmaker. He is also an elder, which means he is a respected leader in his community. He is famous for being one of the people who started the band Yothu Yindi. He also helped make the movie High Ground.

Early Life and Family

Witiyana Marika was born in a place called Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. He grew up in Yirrkala. He belongs to the Rirratjingu clan of the Yolngu people.

He is part of the important Marika family. He was also considered a son by lore to the famous actor David Gulpilil, who passed away in 2021. His mother was a well-known artist named Ms. D. (Djerrkngu) Eunice Yunupingu, who lived from about 1945 to 2022. Her sisters, like Gulumbu Yunupingu, Barrupu Yunupingu, and Nancy Gaymala Yunupingu, were also talented artists.

Music Career

Witiyana Marika was one of the first members of the band Yothu Yindi when it began in 1986. He sang in a traditional style, performing clan songs of the Yolngu people called manikay. He also played bilma (clapsticks) and danced.

In 2017, he joined other long-time band members, Malngay Yunupingu and Stuart Kellaway, to form a new group. This group was called Yothu Yindi & The Treaty Project. They also had new musicians, including Witiyana's son, Yirrmal. This new band performed live across Australia until 2019.

Film Work

Witiyana Marika played the role of the grandfather in the film High Ground. He was also a co-producer and a senior cultural advisor for the movie. This film took about 20 years to make and is based on real events.

The movie was directed by Stephen Maxwell Johnson, who has been a friend of Marika's since 1989. Stephen had also made the music video for Yothu Yindi's song "Djäpana", which won an award. Being part of this film was very important to Marika. He believes it is necessary to teach all Australians about the past. This includes the history of massacres and violence that happened during colonial times.

When he was a teenager, Witiyana learned about a massacre that happened to his grandmother's clan, the Dhalwaŋu people. Over 100 people were killed. He learned this during a special ceremony with his grandfather on their homeland, Gäṉgän. He researched more details about this event with his friend and cousin, Dr M. Yunupingu, who shared the same grandmother. Two men survived the massacre by hiding in the water and breathing through rushes. A similar trick is used by a young boy in the film.

Marika said that the film was a way to share his people's story with the world. He felt it was like how Yothu Yindi shared their music with the world. He was very important in helping the filmmakers, who were mostly non-Indigenous (called "balanda"), work with the traditional owners of the land. Filming took place in areas like Cannon Hill, Gunbalanya, and Gunlom, and permission was needed to use these lands.

Other Important Roles

Witiyana Marika is a senior member, or elder, of the Rirratjingu clan. He is also a senior leader for ceremonies and teaches about songlines and ceremonies for his clan and community.

He has worked as a co-presenter in cross-cultural education. This means he helps teach businesses and universities about different cultures. He used to be the vice chair of the Aboriginal Resource Development Services (ARDS). He also chaired the Buku-Larrngay Mulka Arts Centre Committee and Dhimurru Land Management. Today, he is a director for Rirratjingu Mining Pty Ltd and Rirratjingu Investments Pty Ltd.

In 2021, he directed the Yarrapay Festival at Buku-Larrngay. He also performed there with Yothu Yindi.

Personal Life

As of 2014, Witiyana Marika has two wives. This is a common practice among the Yolngu people. It helps to create larger clans and stronger families. Marika says that the women are treated equally. He also believes there are many good things about growing up in a large extended family.

The blues singer Yirrmal is Witiyana Marika's son.