Download YMAC News issue 20

The latest issue of YMAC News is now available for download.

It is full of stories about some of the accomplishments in our regions over the last few months. Agreements have been made between the Ngarlawangga people and Montezuma Mining Company Ltd, and the Kurama and Marthudunera people and Iron Ore Holdings Ltd, that are both notable for different reasons.

You can read about the Geraldton native title groups coming together to work towards an Alternative Settlement, and a meeting between Pilbara indigenous women and African women in mining.

We have several new members of our Yamatji Regional Committee and the Board of Directors, and we profile one of them, Beverley Ladyman.

The Badimia people won a battle in the National Native Title Tribunal to help protect one of their most sacred sites, and the Nyiyaparli people have discovered a site that was occupied 41,000 year ago while out on a heritage survey for a mining company.

We also answer one of our most frequently asked question, 'Why does native title take so long?'

Click here to dowload YMAC News issue 20.

If you have any stories or photos you'd like to share with us, elders who you think we should profile, questions about native title, or any other letters to the editor, send them to editor@ymac.org.au.

We hope you enjoy this issue of YMAC News.

Pilbara women meet African women in mining



photo courtesy AAPF / AusAID

 

Last week, senior women from Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation met with a visiting delegation of women involved in mining and development issues from various nations across Africa.

 

The delegation included representatives from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Madagascar and Mozambique. The group visited the Pilbara as part of a Mining Study Tour funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). Organisers of the tour included the International Mining for Development Centre and the Australia-Africa Partnerships Facility.

 

The women came together in Karratha to share their experiences working with the mining industry at local, regional and national levels.  They also discussed significant expansion of the mining, and oil and gas industries in Africa, the long history of mining on traditional Aboriginal country in the Pilbara and the challenge of channelling the benefits of these industries into sustainable community development.

 

Njamal elder and Co-Chair of Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, Mrs Doris Eaton, said the meeting was an excellent opportunity to learn more about women leading their communities in Africa, and share the experiences of mining and development in the Pilbara.