Traditional woman Nangaypa was born at Yuduyudu on the western side of Melville Bay, Arnhem Land. Her father was a 'prominent may who became head of the Gumatj clan and a major figure in the land-rights struggle of the Yirrkala people and in their negotiations with the bauxite mining company Nabalco Pty Ltd in the late 1960s.' (Fighters & Singers, 1985:132)
