Collection(s) - Owner :

Pat TORRES MAMANYJUM

Patricia Mamanyjun Torres - Bio 2017
Pat Mamanyjun Torres is an Australian First Nations woman directly descended from Apical ancestors Milare and Keleregodo and Eulalie/Euralia from the Jabirr-Jabirr, Nyul-Nyul and Bard family lines of the Ida Mathilda Torres Family through her mother’s father, Joseph Torres. Through her mother’s mothers’ line, she is also related to Mary Minyarl/Minyirr Drummond from the Djugun family lines and Mary Bajinka from the Julbayi-Yawuru and Garajarri family lines of the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. Pat’s families are traditional owners of Djugun, Yawuru, Garajarri, Nyul-Nyul, Jabirr-Jabirr and Bard lands in the areas north and south, also around Broome, WA. Pat’s skin group is Banaga, Birrali, the Yellow Sand Cockle is her dreaming and her Indigenous name is Mamanyjun, which is a ‘mayi’ or red-bush tucker fruit featured above.
Pat is currently a volunteer Manager for the Babagarra Aboriginal Incorporated family and children services organisation which showcase these products in the community centre in her hometown. Pat is also studying a Bachelor of Indigenous Languages and Linguistics through the Charles Darwin University at the Batchelor Institute of Technology Campus, Northern Territory, Australia to record the remnants of language for her family’s Djugun and Jabirr-Jabirr languages. She has worked in the past as an Educator, Cross-Cultural Trainer, Curriculum Development Officer, Writer, Illustrator, Public Servant, Manager and Co-ordinator of local Community organisations throughout her last 40 years. She also manages a small bush-tucker business called Mayi Harvests and a cultural consultancy business called Mamanyjun Cultural Training previously known as Mamanyjun Banaga Consultancy. Pat has also worked as an Academic Lecturer and Course Co-ordinator with several Australian Universities including Northern Territory University, Batchelor Institute of Aboriginal Education, University of Western Australia and Curtin University. She has also worked for schools, community organisations and festival events both in Australia and Overseas as a Writer/Illustrator/Storyteller/Cultural Educator in Residence.
Pat has completed a Certificate I in Rural Studies, Cert II in Horticulture, Cert III in Horticulture, Cert IV in Bush & Western Herbal Medicine, Cert III in Civil Construction to assist her development of a family farm in native foods. Pat together with a dedicated group of Australian First Nations women are passionate about the development of the Australian Wild Foods/Native foods industry and the teaching of Aboriginal cultural knowledge systems about plants for the preservation and maintenance of ancient cultural practices that involve plants as food and as herbal remedies. Pat has been involved with the wild harvesting of ‘Gabiny/Gubinge’ for the last 20 years and has operated her own collection business, Mayi Harvests for the last 10 years. She was a Director of the Outback Spirit Foundation, in Melbourne, the Gabiny Plum Harvesters Co-operative Ltd in Broome, WA previously known as the Indigenous Harvesters Australia Co-op Ltd, and a Member of Plant Business Project-Advisory Group-CRC for Remote Economic Participation, Ninti One Ltd and a past Member of Australian Native Food Industry Limited (ANFIL) and a Director of ANFIL during 2014-2016. She is currently a Member of SLOW FOOD International Association Convivium: Perth, WA and member for the Australian Native Foods and Botanicals, Broome Chamber of Commerce, and WAITOC. Recently Pat became a network member for the 5Kungkas Alliance Network to further the development of the native food industry in Australia. She is a permanent Director for the Milari Aboriginal Corporation, Babagarra Aboriginal Incorporated and the Djugun and Yawuru Jarndu Land Inc organisations.
During the 1970’s Pat completed a Bachelor of Arts (W.A.I.T.) and a Diploma in Education (UWA). She is a published author and illustrator in Australia and has won several awards for her illustrations during 1987-2000.