Okka Wikka

Doris KINJUN

DOB:

Birth Site:

Doris Kinjun & her sister Marjorie Kinjun are Traditional Owners for 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. Because the station had no religious affiliations the station owners allowed them to preserve their culture & speak their language. Today we have the preservation of several basket patterns that have been lost else where in FNQ.

Doris Kinjun with her sister's support and 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 of a master weaver. With financial support from the CDEP manager Chris Martin and Peter Cleary project manager for Indigenous Art centers Arts Qld: both of these Tully weavers came up to Mona Mona in 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.