Samara Fernandez-Brown is a Warlpiri woman from Yuendumu, the recipient of the NAIDOC’s 2021 Youth of the Year award.
She rose to prominence in 2019 when her cousin Kumanjayi Walker was shot and killed by police. Samara was instrumental in the creation of the Justice For Walker campaign liaising between Warlpiri Elders and the police, judicial system and the media, organising rallies as well as fundraising to cover the case’s legal fees.
Through this campaign Samara has risen to become one of the Australia’s leading voices advocating for the prevention of Indigenous deaths in custody.
Away from home, Samara is undertaking a Bachelor of Psychology at the University of South Australia in Adelaide.
However, she’s currently enjoying her uni break back home in the Northern Territory, where she’s working primarily with children at the Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation (WYDAC).
