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National Photographic Portrait Prize 2019 Finalist
Valerie was taken from her family in Marree, along with her sisters, and subsequently placed in the Umeewarra Mission. A proud Wangkangurru/Lower Southern Arrernte woman, she put Native Title meetings before her health, travelling across the vast country of South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory to attend them. She was proud when, on the 3rd of October 2014, the Wangkangurru Native Title claim received a Consent Determination ruling, returning rights to 79,600 square kilometres of land to the original people of this country. In the face of advanced cancer, Valerie stands strong and proud, knowing she has lived a life of meaning.
The exhibition is selected from a national field of entries, reflecting the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects.
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