 Kathy Balngayngu Marika
Guest Performer and Cultural Consultant
Born at Yirrkala NT, Kathy is a senior woman of her clan which is Rirratjingu, the first clan and language group in that area. Her parents and grandparents taught her respect for all that can be seen, felt and touched - the earth, people, animals, plants, special and sacred places.
From her mother and aunties she was taught traditional dance and about how to identify and gather food, such as berries, fish and oysters. She spent time sitting with her father who showed her bark painting and told her stories about markings and the sacred sites. Kathy has three children and is also a grandmother of eight-year old Gudili. In 1987 Kathy founded the Dhimurru Land Care council with her four sisters and their first cousin. Their role was to regenerate the land that had been affected by mining in the area. The seeds from plants that had grown on what were once the old hunting grounds were collected for replanting. In conjunction with Glen Whiteman from the NT Conservation Commission, the group undertook field trips to record this regeneration project. Their work resulted in the book Rirratjingu Botany, published in 1992. It was published in both English and language (Rirratjingu) and was dedicated to the generations that preceded the Marika sisters. Kathy has taught at TAFE in Newcastle and has spent time tutoring NAISDA students in Aboriginal Dance and Culture. Aspects of this subject include art and craft, weaving and carving. Kathy speaks about her own culture and tries to promote respect by sharing knowledge. Her appearance in Bangarra Dance Theatre's work Bush (2003) marked her first foray into contemporary dance theatre. In 2004 Kathy continued to perform with the company for Clan (Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney) and as part of Bangarra's US tour of Bush.
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