Advisory Committee Profiles
Dean Yibarbuk
Dean Munuggullumurr Yibarbuk was born in 1955 near the Tomkinson River, in Central Arnhem Land. Two years after Dean’s birth the Government established a settlement nearby at Maningrida which today is a regional centre for small indigenous communities in the region. He is a traditional owner of Djinkarr, near Maningrida. Dean’s language is Gurrgoni.
Dean has taken a prominent leadership role in developing contemporary land management programs to deal with conservation issues on Aboriginal land. A driving force behind the development of the Djelk rangers at Maningrida, Dean is also a senior ranger. Dean has been a key figure in the development of Warddeken Land Management Limited, the declaration of the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area and the development of a ground-breaking use of traditional knowledge of savanna burning practices to deal with impact of climate change.