Kay Napaljarri Ross was born at Napperby Station in the Northern Territory and working as a domestic servant during the 1960s until the mid 70s when she began working for the Bilingual Education Program at Yuendumu. Kay Napaljarri Ross strove to maintain bilingual education of language and culture in the face of government pressure for Aboriginal children to become assimilated. Kay Napaljarri Ross and her co-wife Sarah Napaljarri were traditionally married to Jack Jakamarra Ross.
During her life, Napaljarri worked as a Warlpiri educator, linguist, interpreter, translator, artist, author and cartographer. While raising children and studying part time for her Diploma in Linguistics, Kay Napaljarri Ross was also a school teacher who wrote children's books teaching Warlpiri language and dreaming stories. Having a sound knowledge of the Warlpiri language, Napaljarri also spoke East and West Arrernte, Anmatyerre, Alyawarra, Luritja, Pitjantjarra, Pintubi and English. Napaljarri was highly knowledgeable of Warlpiri culture and travelled to Niger, Africa, in 1995 to share her knowledge on traditional Warlpiri seed use to combat famine.
