Doris

Doris KINJUN

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Doris Kinjun & her sister Marjorie Kinjun are Traditional Owners for Girramay land between Tully and El Arish

They are aunties to Abe Muriata: master weaver in the Bi-cornial Bama basket of the Wet Tropics.

They are master weavers in their traditional Bama Rainforest Baskets: using Lawyer Cane Pandanus & Lomandra

Both sisters believe: "The well being of our own communities lives depends on activating these connections to land."

Doris and her sister grew up traditionally with a father and mother who continued to live their cultural life style teaching their own children as much as they could in the changing times. Murray Upper community was a cattle station that allowed the families to continue to live on their land work there. She refers to herself and her sister Marj as the Cowgirls.

Because the station had no religious affiliations their station owners allowed them to preserve their culture & speak their language. Today they have the preservation of several basket patterns that have been lost else where in FNQ. These baskets and the skills it takes to make them: continue to be precious icons of the Jumbin - Cardwell - Mission Beach community identity.

Doris Kinjun with her sister's support and Bi-Cornial Master weaver Abe Muriata responded to a request by the Djabugay peoples of Kuranda region: to revive the lost skills for the bi-cornial half moon basket. Made out of lawyer cane, this basket is a skill for a master weaver. Doris & Marj Kinjun watched her dad and Buckaroo make this basket during her childhood and up until they passed on.

With financial support from the CDEP manager Chris Martin and Peter Cleary project manager for Indigenous Art centres Arts Qld: Tully weavers Doris & Abe came up each week over a month to Mona Mona in late 09 and taught the bi-cornial basket to 20 Djabugay adults. 28 days of concentrated learning.

The patience and delight of this beautiful woman encouraged everyone she met to continue to be part of the renaissance in KOCA: keeping our culture alive.

Her dream is to make teaching weaving a weaving business.