Maurice Jupurrurla Luther

Maurice Jupurrurla Luther MBE (c. 1945 – 28 September 1985) was a Warlpiri school teacher, bilingual education advocate, artist and community leader in the community of Lajamanu in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Life in the Northern Territory Luther was born on Warlpiri Country, in the tribal area Warnayaka, in the Tanami Desert and he was the son of Jajirdi Jakamarra and Yirdiparnta (May) Napaljarri.

After spending some time there his family walked to Yuendumu Native Settlement, at what is now known as Yuendumu, which was operating as a government ration depot for Aboriginal people with the involvement of the Australian Baptist Home Mission. While at Yuendumu Luther's father died and his mother's second husband Jumbo (Sambo) Jakamarra, later known as Sambo No. 1, took work with Francis McGarry at The Granites and the family returned there. However, soon after that (in around 1953) the family were removed from there in a truck by the Native Affairs Branch who wanted them to remain at the government settlement. Soon after this move he went through tribal initiation.

From the early 1960s Luther joined the village council at Hooker Creek and became an active participant in community activities. Then, in 1963, he was one of 20 Aboriginal people from across the Northern Territory to be selected for a six week long intensive teacher training in Darwin and used these skills and qualifications when working as a teaching assistant at Hooker Creek School. While working at the school Luther also became involved in bilingual literacy, bilingual education and linguistic work more generally.

On 1 October 1964 Luther was baptised in the Baptist faith and it is around this period that he adopted the use of the surname Luther due to his admiration for Martin Luther King Jr.

Luther's work with Jagst was later used in the production of the Warlpiri Encyclopedic Dictionary (2022) where Luther is attributed with developing the spelling system.

In 1970 Luther became one of 12 men on Hooker Creek's first elected Council and in 1973 became a community advisor and, from 1974 to 1979, the executive officer of the council. In 1976 he was appointed the Hiatt Committee of Inquiry into the role of the National Aboriginal Consultative Committee; this was a national committee.

Luther was present when, on 16 August 1975, Gough Whitlam made the handover of Daguragu (Wattie Creek) to the Gurindji people following the Wave Hill walk-off. He was present as the Gurindji are the traditional owners of Hooker Creek and Luther was key to the negotiations for Warlpiri people to be able to remain living there. Luther was also instrumental in the decision to rename it Lajamanu in September 1977. The name Lajamanu is derived from the local Gurindji placename.

Luther died on 28 September 1985 at Lajamanu. In 1978 he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

Publications In 1975 Luther worked on a series of books, Nyampu pakarli pijakurlu, jarukurlu, for the Summer Institute of Linguists Australian Aborigines Branch where he dictated stories many of the stories in Warlpiri for publication with English translations provided.

Full-text is available for Luther's contributions in these publications through Library & Archives NT:

Nyampu pakarli pijakurlu, jarukurlu 1 by Maurice Jupurrula Luther (1975). Nyampu pakarli pijakurlu, jarukurlu 2 by Maurice Jupurrula Luther (1975). Nyampu pakarli pijakurlu, jarukurlu 4 by Maurice Jupurrula Luther (1975). Nyampu pakarli pijakurlu, jarukurlu 5 by Maurice Jupurrula Luther (1975). Nyampu pakarli pijakurlu, jarukurlu 6 by Maurice Jupurrula Luther (1975). Nyampu pakarli pijakurlu, jarukurlu 8 by Maurice Jupurrula Luther (1975). An oral history interview with Luther, made between 1975 and 1979, is available through AIATSIS.