To celebrate 2019 being the International Year of Indigenous Languages, the Menzies Indigenous Capacity Building Unit (ICBU) was gifted the Larrakia name, Biyamarr ma, meaning Pandanus, by Larrakia Man Patj Patj, Janama, Robert Mills. To learn more about our Larrakia name, click here.
Biyamarr ma visual representation
Artist Name: Mim (Meikim) Cole
Tribes: Larrakia (NT), Wardaman (NT), Karajarri (WA)
Category: Painting. Acrylic paint on canvas.
Size: 60.9cm x 60.9cm TITLE: Biyamarr ma
Story: This painting represents the beautiful pandanus plant also known as Biyamarr ma to the Larrakia people of Darwin Northern Territory Australia. The Biyamarr ma is an amazing plant that has helped our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tribes thrive for thousands of years due to its almost limitless uses such as food, medicine, craft objects and much more.
This plant provides us with a large supply of materials, it’s how they are put together and used that makes a world of difference. The creations of our tribal ancestors inspire us to get creative and innovative with what we have at hand in order to piece together solutions. Just like the innovative mindset of our ancestors the Biyamarr ma team strives to do the same. This is reflected in their unifying and solution-based principals focused on relationship building internally and externally, community engagement, the development and growth of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce and much more.
The cross hatching in the painting is a representation of the binding and woven union within the Biyamarr ma team that work together to create a strong foundation for the work that is carried out. Similar to the well-known dilly bags (woven from Biyamarr ma) that are used to carry many things. The dots within the Biyamarr ma nut represents the many seeds that are planted by the endless ideas from the team and all who engage with them which grow to flourish and feed back into the team and the community.
Our team
Mark Mayo
Associate Deputy Director, Indigenous Leadership and Engagement (ADDILE) - Darwin
Diane Walker
Project officer, Biyamarr ma
Jo Campbell
Project officer, Biyamarr ma
Contact us:
Contact Biyamarr ma via email or phone (08) 8946 8413.
Our Biyamarr ma team, through leadership and collaboration, work to sustain a culturally safe organisation, empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and maximise opportunities for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Biyamarr ma responsibilities are underpinned by the following Menzies strategic documents:
- Menzies 2021
- Menzies Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy in final stage of approval
- Menzies Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2020 - 2022
Responsibilities include:
- Integrating people, systems, and platforms to maximise opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership across the organisation
- Building and maintaining relationships, both internally and externally
- Working in partnership with Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal community-controlled sector to advocate for research priorities
- Strengthening our community engagement work using a community development approach
- Playing a key role in developing, implementing, monitoring, reporting and evaluating of organisational strategies that relate to:
- Growing our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce through our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment Strategy
- Menzies Innovate RAP 2020 - 2022
- Ensure a safe environment where people can share and participate in the co-creation of knowledge.