26-131 – Marissa Riley

“A sign of our strength and resilience. Our three tribes in my Country. He [Yawarda] created sacred sites, all the big hills in our Country. He’s the creator of the hills in my Country. One of our dreamings of creating Country.”

– Marisa Riley

Marissa Riley is a Nharnu Wajarri woman who grew up in Yulga Jinna Community and actively advocates for her community to this day. Here, she lived with her mum, dad and grandparents. Marissa attended remote schooling (School of the Air) as well as schooling in the regional town of Meekatharra. Currently she is living in Newman. Marissa recalls learning to paint with her aunty and nana when she was 10 years old. She paints about her country, dreaming stories, animals, and community life.

Yulga Jinna is a self-managed community located about 130kms north outside of the remote Mid-West town of Meekatharra. The name of the community, Yulga Jinna, means ‘Flat Foot’ in Wajarri. The community is located near to the Robinson Ranges in the Gascoyne-Murchison region, spanning between the Indian Ocean inland all the way to the Great Sandy Desert.