Yunupingu, one of the most influential Aboriginal leaders in Australia, breathed his last in the Northern Territory at the age of 74 after an extended illness.
He was renowned for his considerable contributions to the struggle for land rights and constitutional acknowledgment of Indigenous people in Australia.
As a leader of the Gumatj clan, Yunupingu played a crucial role in the land rights movement in the 1960s and was involved in the initial Australian legal case to test the native title rights of First Nations people.
Over the following five decades, Yunupingu provided counsel to successive governments and was a celebrated singer, artist, and advocate of Indigenous culture.
He was pivotal in establishing the Northern Land Council, which represents traditional owners in the Northern Territory’s Top End, and the Yothu Yindi Foundation, one of the principal advocacy bodies for Aboriginal Australians.
Yunupingu was appointed Australian of the Year in 1978 and was bestowed with an Order of Australia medal for his services to the Aboriginal community in 1985.
In recent years, Yunupingu campaigned for constitutional recognition of Indigenous people through the Voice to Parliament. He labored tirelessly to ensure that Indigenous people’s voices were heard and their rights were acknowledged.
His daughter, Binmila Yunupingu, conveyed that her father’s passing was a deep loss, but he passed away on his land, enveloped by the sound of time, yidaki, and the manikay of their people. She appended that he was born on their land and departed knowing that his life’s work was secure.
The Yothu Yindi Foundation characterized Yunupingu as “a giant of the nation” and “a leader of his people, whose welfare was his most pressing concern and responsibility.”
Memorials for Yunipingu
In the wake of Yunupingu’s demise, a distinguished Aboriginal leader and Gumutj clan chieftain, heartfelt tributes have been flooding in from all across the country.
Yunupingu held the position of chairman of the Northern Land Council for a long time, and his advocacy work related to the Kakadu National Park and Ranger uranium mine earned him the Australian of the Year award in 1978.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese extended his sympathies and referred to Yunupingu as a “national treasure” who traversed two worlds with power, authority, and grace. Albanese added that Yunupingu’s vision was not to reconstruct Australia but to construct a greater one. He lauded him as a leader, statesman, and extraordinary member of his family.
As a member of the referendum working group, Yunupingu reminded Australians in his final months that the future is their responsibility and that everyone should demonstrate leadership on reconciliation, recognition, and the referendum.
His demise is a significant setback for the Aboriginal community and the country at large.
