Clan

Dhaḻwaŋu

Artist Dates

c.1935-2016

Alternative Names

Gawurin, Gouarin, Gawarrin, Gawirrin, Garwirin, Gawerin, Joe

Dr. Gawirriṉ Gumana AO

Gawirriṉ Gumana was one of the most significant Yolŋu leaders of modern times. In 1992, he was ordained a minister of the Uniting Church. In 2002, he won the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, and the following year he was made a member of the Order of Australia. In 2007, he received an honorary doctorate from Charles Darwin University. He was the named plaintiff in the 2008, the High Court case Gumana vs. Northern Territory Government, which first recognized Indigenous sea rights in Australia. In 2009, he was awarded the Red Ochre Award for lifetime services to Indigenous art and culture.