00:00In times of hardship, Mr M Marika drew strength from the rocks in the sea surrounding his
00:08North East Arnhem Land home. Selected by his clan, he was one of four founding rangers
00:13of the Dimiru Aboriginal Corporation, where he brought Yungal knowledge to care for country.
00:19Over more than 30 years, he rose through the ranks to lead the organisation and developed
00:24a program passing on Yungal tradition to the next generation.
00:28There's probably well over 50 Yungal now caring for their country in the way that they choose,
00:36and Mr Marika's contribution to that has been enormous.
00:42Descended from a long line of Riddigingal clan leaders, his skill as a respected statesman
00:47was on display when he hosted the future King Charles. A Christian man and a senior cultural
00:54authority, he also served as a leader for his clan, including a period as chairperson of
00:59the Riddigingal Aboriginal Corporation. He was a guardian of land conservation, understanding
01:05deeply that caring for country is caring for culture, identity and spirit. He was equally
01:12devoted to the social wellbeing of his community, working tirelessly to ensure that Yungal people
01:18had opportunities, support and a strong sense of belonging and purpose. In recent years,
01:24he experienced great tragedy, losing both his son and grandson, but he remained committed
01:30to training his surviving sons for leadership to take up the mantle once he was gone. He was
01:35a cultural authority, community guide and voice of wisdom, deeply trusted across East Arnhem Land.
01:43His legacy will live on in the generations he helped inspire. Senior cultural leaders of
01:48each of the Yungal clans have paid their respects to Mr Marika's family and the Riddigingal clan
01:54as Yungal enters sorry business. He died in North East Arnhem Land aged 64.
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