Pilbara Traditional Owners Record Stories for Future Generations

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Photo: Toby Smirke with FTI film crew on Jurruru country

Earlier this month, Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) spent time on country with Traditional Owners from the Pilbara region of Western Australia as part of an initiative to record stories about Australia’s unique Aboriginal cultural heritage. 

Indigenous Community Stories (ICS), run by FTI in partnership with Rio Tinto, ScreenWest, Leighton and Ngarda Civil and Mining, aims to digitally archive one hundred West Australian Indigenous stories on film for future generations to view over the next century and beyond. 

In the first of these stories, Kariyarra elder Irene Roberts talks about growing up around Abydos and Kangan stations, as well as her life in the Yandeyarra community. The second story, told by Jurruru elder Toby Smirke, focuses on the working life of Aboriginal people on pastoral stations, his family, and Jurruru connection to country. 

Mr Smirke said that he enjoyed making the film. ‘By the end of it I was happy with how it worked out, and I think it was all done right’, he said.

These projects follow on from another ICS project that YMAC supported in February about Geraldton-based artist and writer, Charmaine Green.

Click here to read about Charmaine's Indigenous Community Story.

For more information on the Indigenous Community Stories project, visit https://www.fti.asn.au/make/icstories

YMAC News issue 15 is here

YMAC is pleased to share the latest issue of YMAC News, which is now available It is filled with information about the great work being done by traditional owners and YMAC staff across the two YMAC regions.

Issue 15 of our newsletter highlights native title agreements for the Kariyarra and Gnulli people, a major step forward for the Bunjima people, some impressive achievements by YMAC staff and our organisation's firm resolve on the issue of constitutional recognition for Australia's original inhabitants.

We hope you enjoy the 15th issue of YMAC News.

Click here to download an electronic version  or email srosenfeld@ymac.org.au to request hard copies for yourself, your family, your business or workplace.

YMAC leads the way in agreement making

This week has been a busy one for both regions of YMAC, with the Kariyarra and Gnulli native title groups signing agreements that secures both financial and cultural heritage benefits for the communities involved.

Congratulations to all parties involved in these agreements. YMAC looks forward to continuing to achieving great results for our clients and leading the way in agreement making in Australia.

Kariyarra agreement paves the way for development in Port Hedland

On Monday 8 August, the Kariyarra people and the WA State Government signed a native title agreement which will pave the way for much needed residential and commercial development of land in the Town of Port Hedland.

The Department of Regional Development and Lands (DRDL) has agreed to transfer a number of parcels of land to the Kariyarra people, in exchange for their consent to the release of land within the South Hedland townsite and port of Port Hedland. Under the agreement, a total of around 5,000 hectares of land will be transferred to the Kariyarra people. Key features of the agreement include the transfer of 10 hectares of freehold land in South Hedland suitable for residential development and land at 12 Mile for rural residential development. The Kariyarra people will also share in the profits from the sale of lots developed within the broader agreement area. The Kariyarra people will also gain management of several extensive reserves, which include important cultural sites.

Traditional Owners sign agreement to protect Indigenous heritage

On Thursday 11 August, Baiyungu Traditional Owners signed an agreement with Rio Tinto’s Dampier Salt to protect Indigenous heritage in WA’s Midwest. The signing ceremony between the Gnulli native title claim group and Rio Tinto took place at Dampier Salts Lake Macleod operation, some 100 kilometres north of Carnarvon.

The agreement signed between the two parties establishes guidelines on the protection of Indigenous culture, and importantly, the consultation of Traditional Owners on all heritage matters in the area. Lake Macleod is of special cultural significance to the Gnulli people, whose traditional country covers approximately 87,876 square kilometers of land and sea; including the towns of Carnarvon, Coral Bay and Exmouth. Lake Macleod is the westernmost lake in Australia and recognised as a wetland of national importance due to the abundance of birdlife and the fact that the lake is periodically inundated by freshwater.

Kariyarra Joint Venture Corporation in land development deal

The Kariyarra Mugarinya Joint Venture, a corporation that is run by the Kariyarra native title claim group and Mugarinya Community Association, is today celebrating the commencement of a joint property venture with the Department of Regional Development and Lands.

The deal provides funds to develop 12ha of residential land in Port Hedland that was allotted to the Kariyarra Maugarinya Joint Venture in 2007.

YMAC assisted the Kariyarra people to set up the Joint Venture and receive the land allotment, and is very pleased that Kariyarra Mugarinya has now secured this deal that will help develop housing and security for the community into the future. This is a great outcome for the Kariyarra people and YMAC congratulates them for their work through the Joint Venture that has resulted in this development deal.

Regional Development and Lands Minister Brendan Grylls is hosting an event to celebrate the announcement of the joint property venture in South Hedland today.



Traditional Owners sign Rail Agreement with Hancock Prospecting

Hancock Prospecting's Tad Watroba with Kariyarra elders Lena Alone and Elsie Williams.  

The Kariyarra native title group today announced a native title agreement with Hancock Prospecting. The agreement covers the company’s proposed heavy haulage railway corridor to carry iron ore from its Roy Hill Project to Port Hedland.

The agreement provides a range of financial and non-financial benefits to the Kariyarra people, aimed at protecting the Kariyarra people’s cultural heritage and promoting their economic development. The Kariyarra people will continue to have a say in protecting their heritage sites throughout the planning and development of the project. Hancock has committed to working with the Kariyarra people to try to avoid damaging any cultural heritage sites.

“As Kariyarra People we do everything we can to protect and look after our country,” said Donny Wilson, a Kariyarra elder. “We’re glad to have entered into an agreement with Hancock to try to make sure that their railway doesn’t go through any of our important places.”

Funding for Woodstock Abydos Heritage Project

YMAC's Teri O'Neill, and Stan Stylianou with Minister Garrett at the announcement.  

Peter Garrett, Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts has announced that YMAC has been successful in securing $97,000 to progress the current Woodstock Abydos Heritage Project.
Woodstock/Abydos is located in the East Pilbara region in the traditional country of the Kariyarra and Palyku people. The area contains numerous sites of cultural and historical importance including mythological, ceremonial, artefacts, engravings and paintings.
The grant will be used to undertake a comprehensive survey of the Woodstock Abydos reserves, in conjunction with Traditional Owners and government agencies, to record previously undocumented archaeological sites.