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Artist and Aboriginal Elder, Yirawala was a member of the Naborn clan of Gunwinggu language speakers whose traditional lands lie in the Marugulidban (also called Morgaleetbah) region straddling the Liverpool River, south-west of Maningrida, in the Northern Territory. Yirawala was born in this region around the turn of the century. The date of his birth is not known but in 1970 he gave his age as 73. Yirawala's father's name was Nowaritj, a keeper of sacred cultural knowledge. He was raised in the traditional way, learning his father's designs, songs and stories. He was influenced artistically by the rock art of western Arnhem Land. Yirawala advocated self-determination among Aboriginal people and was the recipient of the International Co-operationa Art Award in 1971.