napunda-marawili
Homeland: Bäniyala / Yilpara
Clan: Mardarrpa
Moiety: Yirritja
Napunda is the fourth son of renowned artist Bakulaŋay Marawili. Bakulaŋay was a son of Mundukul, brother to Marrirra, Watjinbuy and Ŋulwurr. He spent his childhood in Numbulwar. He was an artist with a creative flare that was at times controversial re Yolŋu sacred designs and its conservatism. An active participant in ceremony he travelled from his homeland at Bäniyala often for long periods of time to attend ritual. He famously participated in the painting of the Barunga Statement in 1988.
Bakulaŋay’s was one of the last Maḏarrpa families to return to their sacred homeland of Yilpara from their exile at Rose River where the kids were born.
During the post contact chaos Yolŋu families in the bush sought shelter at missions. As Yilpara is closer to Rose River (Numbalwar) than Yirrkala it is perhaps not surprising that this family ended up there.
This mission was more easily accessible to outsiders and different language groups than Yirrkala and the result was that Yolŋu language was substituted with Kriol. Bakulangay had an unusual kinship matrix with a Rirratjingu mother and a Mara maternal grandmother. He often travelled to Hodgson Downs to attend funerals around the Limmen Bight.
When Wakuthi Marawili made the decision to take the Madarrpa clan back to their homeland he made the move first and Bakulangays family where one of the last to return. Napunda thinks it was around 1974. After going to school in Yirrkala he returned to Yilpara school organised by his uncle James Marawili. James sent him to Wangetti Boarding School in Cairns until Napunda’s Dad asked him to come home.
Napunda then worked with Wanyubi Marika from the foundation of the Yirralka Rangers until 2020.
Napunda is married to Nyemburr Munungurr with two children and lives at Yilpara. He is a ceremonial leader. His daughter Dirrpu is an artist and works at the Buku-Larrngay Mulka Centre. He created a work in the style of his father in 1996 but then paused until 2016 when he began to create again. His two brothers Napuwarri and Wurrandan are better known within the art world.
