Mawalan Marika
Mawalan Marika (1908–1967), often referred to as Mawalan 1 Marika to distinguish from Mawalan 2 Marika, was an Aboriginal Australian artist and the leader of the Rirratjingu clan of the Yolngu people of north-east Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia. He is known for his bark paintings, carvings and political activism. Biography Mawalan Marika was born around 1908 in Yirrkala. His name derives from the mawalan, or digging stick used by the Djang'kawu of the creation story of the Rirratjingu clan. His clan falls under the Dhuwa moiety, one of the two moieties found in Arnhem Land. In addition to being an important asset to many anthropologists, including Charles P. Mountford and Ronald Berndt, he was one of the most prominent political activists of his time. Mawalan and his four brothers led the other clans in presenting the Yirrkala bark petitions to the Australian Government in 1963, in the lead-up to the 1971 Gove land rights case (aka Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd, named after his brother Milirrpum). Marika was one of the first artists to break from tradition and teach his daughters (i.e. women) how to paint the sacred madayin clan designs. Marika advocated for the teaching