Newsletter August 2012
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KIMBERLEY LAND COUNCIL getting country back caring for country securing the future Newsletter gust 2012 PO BOX 2145 BROOME WA 6725 Ph: (08) 9194 0100 Fax: (08) 9193 6279 www.klc.org.au N0 2, Au Farewell to an inspirational warrior Frank Sebastian was one of the visionary founders of the Kimberley Land Council in 1978 and we are deeply saddened by his passing on June 24, 2012. Mr Sebastian was fondly known to all as Gudjai and he will leave a lasting legacy at the KLC. Gudjai was at the frontline of the Noonkanbah march and was a strong advocate for Indigenous rights. KLC Co-Chair Tom Birch described Gudjai as a fighter and an inspirational leader. “Gudjai was one of the founding members of the KLC and he has been instrumental in building our organisation into what it is today,’’ he said. “He was a strong advocate of land rights as seen in his days as a young warrior protesting at Noonkanbah, and more recently in his fight for native title for all Kimberley Aboriginal people. “Gudjai was passionate about the KLC. He was a lifetime member of our organisation and an Executive Director right up to the end.Kimberley Gudjai will alwaysLand Councilbe a part of the KLC family and Augustwe are proud 2012 to have known this true Indigenous leader.’’ 1 Looking Back @ the KLC while also generating jobs. Five years ago: 2007 “Being recognised as the rightful owners The Ngurrara native title determination of our traditional lands means Aboriginal was handed down on November 9, 2007 – communities can take control of country recognising an area larger than Tasmania as and of our own future and that is why exclusive possession native title land. Traditional Owners work so hard to secure The Ngurrara claim is located in the native title,” he said. Great Sandy Desert. Immediately after “We live in the modern world, and we the determination, Traditional Owners need to find ways to combine the modern declared the Warlu Jilajaa Jumu Indigenous world with our history and culture. Having Protected Area across 16,430 square an Indigenous Protected Area over parts of kilometres of country in the north-eastern our land is one way of doing this. section of the claim area. “IPA’s mean communities can combine KLC Executive Director Wayne Bergmann their responsibilities to country with said the native title determination and the economic opportunities and create real declaration of the Indigenous Protected jobs working for all Australians to protect Area (IPA) would assist Traditional Owners and care for the environment.’’ to look after their culture and environment mining leases within the claim area. The Ten years ago: 2002 Miriuwung Gajerrong native title claim was held up in litigation for more than a In 2002, the Kimberley Land Council was decade. working on 32 native title applications. Through its role as the Native Title KLC CEO Wayne Bergmann said he wanted Representative Body for the region, the the State Government to set up and KLC, called on the WA Government to support a negotiating framework where negotiate native title determinations the rights, interests, issues and concerns through consent rather than litigation in the claim area could be mapped out and honour its promise for 10 consent and resolved with the Miriuwung and determinations in WA by the end of its Gajerrong people, pastoralists, miners and first term. others. The call to the Gallop Labor Government “We can’t keep sitting around for years came after the High Court sent the waiting for court decisions. Instead, Miriuwung Gajerrong native title case we have to move forward and find less back to the Full Federal Court for a final costly – in money and human terms – and decision despite recognising native lengthy processes for working out how we title continued to exist on pastoral and share the land,’’ he said. 2 August 2012 Kimberley Land Council message from the Chairmen The KLC has been working extremely hard to People attending the conference were very progress native title in the Kimberley. We recently impressed with our ranger program and this was celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the Mabo further evidenced when Daniel Oades, the KLC’s IPA decision, and although Aboriginal people have Coordinator was chosen by the Federal Government come a long way in being recognised as the to represent Australia and the Kimberley at the Traditional Owners of our country, there needs to be recent Rio 20+ Conference in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. improvements to the Native Title Act. At the conference, Australia put forward the idea of The Federal Government announced proposed an international ranger network which was warmly changes to the Native Title Act as part of the accepted. anniversary celebrations, but these reforms do not Our Bardi Jawi Rangers have also been setting the go far enough and will not reduce the burden put standard worldwide for their expertise in dugong on Aboriginal people to prove they are native title tagging. Some of the rangers recently travelled holders. to Abu Dhabi at the request of the United Arab The KLC Executive Board continues to support Emirates Government to teach local rangers about reversing the burden of proof as a way to speed- how to tag dugong for research. The rangers spent up the native title process. We also call for greater 11 days training local rangers on how to assemble cooperation with the State Government in settling satellite tags, track dugong and install the devices native title claims through negotiation and consent. that enable monitoring using computer technology. The KLC has been successful in achieving native title There has been much happening in the Kimberley at for Kimberley Aboriginal people and 65 per cent of the moment, and as always we have many meetings the Kimberley is determined native title land. But planned so we can continue to engage with native there are some people in the Kimberley that have title claim groups and keep Kimberley Aboriginal been waiting their whole life for land rights and we people informed about important issues and are working with these claim groups to settle native activities that are happening on your country. title as soon as possible. The KLC, KALACC and KLRC Annual General Meetings In line with the KLC vision, we are working to get will also be happening at Gambanan on the Dampier back country but we are also looking after our Peninsula from September 25 to 27. It is an election country and the Kimberley Ranger Program is year for the KLC and the KLRC, so please start one example of this. Some of our Executive Board thinking about who you want to represent your claim members recently travelled to San Francisco to group. attend the International Funders for Indigenous All that the KLC has been able to achieve in its history People Conference to promote our land and and will continue to achieve in the future is because conservation activities. While they were there of inspirational leaders like Gudjai. he was a friend to they also worked to establish an international all and will leave a lasting legacy at the KLC. ranger network so we can team up with other Indigenous people from across the world to tackle environmental challenges on a global scale. TOM BIRCH & FRANK DAVEY Kimberley Land Council August 2012 3 Farewell to a true Indigenous leader: Frank Sebastian Frank Sebastian was one of the visionary founders of see in that old photo of people marching behind the the Kimberley Land Council in 1978 and we are deeply banner. A lot of them passed away, and those young saddened by his passing on June 24, 2012. people you see running around as part of that photo: Mr Sebastian was fondly known to all as Gudjai and his they had their own children and they carry that with legacy at the KLC will never be forgotten. them. Gudjai was a fighter, a strong man who stood up for the “I’m going to miss him; when we were on Yawuru rights of Kimberley Aboriginal people. He was at the country, he always welcomed us.’’ frontline in the epic land rights battle at Noonkanbah, The KLC was born out of the land rights battle at where as a young man, he took on an international Noonkanbah and Gudjai was one of the organisation’s mining company. inspiring leaders. He has been at the KLC from the Gudjai was one of the Kimberley’s leaders and he beginning and continued to be an Executive Director of stood strong and proud as he carried the banner at the KLC right up until the end. Noonkanbah, fighting for the right for Aboriginal people “He committed himself to the KLC. He was one of the to be able to make decisions about their own country. founders of the KLC. If I was one of the founders of an Kimberley elder and KLC special adviser John Watson, organisation like the KLC, I would be the proudest man was also there at Noonkanbah, standing side-by side ever because the KLC is working with all Kimberley with Gudjai. Aboriginal people and is getting what the people want,’’ KLC Co-Chair Frank Davey said. “I can only say in 1978, him and I carried that flag when we demonstrated against that mining company AMEX,’’ “He stood his ground. No-one could move him. He was he said. a fighter. He was serious about a lot of things – about land and his own people. But he could also joke; and he “They were strong people at that meeting, as you can will be fondly remembered for that as well.’’ 4 August 2012 Kimberley Land Council see in that old photo of people marching behind the Gudjai was a land rights activist and fought hard to “He was a highly respected man.