Australia loses a giant as Yunupingu passes away

The Yothu Yindi Foundation laments the demise of Yunupiu, a prominent Gumatj figure.

Yunupiu was the Yolu people’s maestro of ceremonies and keeper of their songlines. He had the country’s ancient names and his people’s sacred wisdom.

His name signifies the sacred rock that stands against time, and his totems were fire, rock, and bäru (saltwater crocodile).

He embarks on his journey to be reunited with his fathers and his clan, who are waiting for him in the heart of his revered Gumatj homeland.

He returns to his roots, having been born on sacred Yolu territory in North East Arnhem Land. He now goes back to his forebears.

He was a giant of the country, contributing to public life for seven decades, but he was first leader of his people, whose wellbeing was his top priority.

He led the Land Rights movement and the broader fight for Aboriginal rights. He spoke up for voiceless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by collaborating with national leaders to restore Indigenous people to their proper position.

He spearheaded the 1970s rebirth of the homelands movement and the growth of the Land Rights movement across Australia along with Yolu leaders.

The Yirrkala Bark Petitions, the Gove Land Rights lawsuit, the Land Rights Act, the Barunga Declaration, the Aboriginal Title Act, and the Voice are just a few of the major national events that bear his name.

He spent his entire life in the Yirrkala and Gunyaara regions, among his people, despite his influence extending to the country’s furthest limits.

He engaged personally with each Prime Minister since Whitlam and first met Prime Minister Robert Menzies in the 1960s when Cabinet met to discuss the Gove Bauxite Mine.

Although many promises were made, they were only partially kept. He was left feeling let down by everyone because he was the clan nation’s, sovereign man.

He questioned whether Prime Minister Albanese’s commitment to the Voice in 2022 was “serious” in his response. It is, he was told. This commitment was fulfilled.

The Dhupuma Barker junior school in Gunyara and the Garma Institute were recently built under his leadership as chairman of the Yothu Yindi Foundation, fulfilling a long-held goal of local leaders for top-notch educational facilities in northeast Arnhem Land.

Along with his Yolu kin, he gave the country the Garma Festival, which currently serves as a forum for discussing issues affecting Yolu and other Indigenous people. The festival featured Yolu miny-the (art), Punggol (dance), manikay (song), and story-telling for a national audience.

He received numerous honours, but he never sought praise for his efforts.

The Gumatj-owned Gulkula Bauxite Mine, the first Aboriginally-owned and operated mine in the nation, was recently established by him. He had previously established several sustainable large and small businesses that supported local employment, including a cattle station, a timber mill, and a nursery.

He directed the creation of the Gulkula Space Base and its collaboration with NASA in 2022.

Family members held him in their arms as he lived and died. He will always be and be the first Yolu.