Aboriginal Way www.nativetitlesa.org Issue 69, Summer 2018 A publication of South Australian Native Title Services Above: Dean Ah Chee at a co-managed cultural burn at Witjira NP. Read full article on page 6. Native title groups from across the state meet There are a range of support services Nadja Mack, Advisor at the Land Branch “This is particularly important because PBC representatives attending heard and funding options available to of the Department and Prime Minister the native title landscape is changing… from a range of organisations that native title holder groups to help and Cabinet (PM&C) told representatives we now have more land subject to offer support and advocacy for their them on their journey to become from PBCs present that a 2016 determination than claims, so about organisations, including SA Native independent and sustainable consultation had led her department to 350 determinations and 240 claims, Title Services (SANTS), the Indigenous organisations that can contribute currently in Australia. focus on giving PBCs better access to Land Corporation (ILC), Department significantly to their communities. information, training and expertise; on “We have 180 PBCs Australia wide, in of Environment Water and Natural That was the message to a forum of increasing transparency and minimising South Australia 15 and soon 16, there’s Resources (DEWNR), AIATSIS, Indigenous South Australian Prescribed Bodies disputes within PBCs; on providing an estimate that by 2025 there will be Business Australia (IBA), Office of the Corporate (PBCs) held in Adelaide focussed support by native title service about 270 – 290 PBCs Australia wide” Registrar of Indigenous Corporations recently. The forum was the first in a Ms Mack said. (ORIC), Department of SA Premier and national series hosted by the Department providers and in improving engagement Cabinet and the National Native Title of Prime Minister and Cabinet, who are by government with PBCs. The national The growing number of determined areas Council (NNTC). seeking to move PBCs towards self- series of forums for PBCs are a first step and PBCs called for an identification and sufficiency within four years. in achieving those outcomes. addressing of any issues she said. Continued on page 3 Inside: First Nations Voice silenced 5 Treaty talks with three SA Aboriginal nations 5 Co-designing the Future 9 Students find their way on the Kokoda track 11 Art sale helps Anangu return home A “wildly successful” art auction held in Adelaide as a part of the Tarnanthi Festival means that people with kidney disease in the APY lands will be able return home to their families and communities. The Purple House Art Auction, held at Tandanya recently, saw works created by artists from across the APY Lands sold to support the establishment of the first permanent dialysis service in remote South Australia. The auction, which was coordinated by the APY Art Collective, raised $169,300. The sale completes fundraising to open a permanent dialysis service in the Pukatja (Ernabella) community. Purple House CEO Sarah Brown said that it was an emotional afternoon at Tandanya, but she was thrilled at the outcome. “By the end of it there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. There were artists who’d lost family on dialysis, who’d never got home, there were people there who were on dialysis in Adelaide who were dreaming of going home. It was really emotional. Everyone who bought things were crying. Everyone who helped organise it were crying. We were all crying but they were happy tears” she told Aboriginal Way. Reaching the fundraising goal for the new service is significant because of the high prevalence of kidney disease in Aboriginal communities and the need for people with kidney disease to regularly undertake dialysis. “So when your kidneys have failed, you need dialysis three times a week for the rest of your life, as a minimum. And its Above: Marlene Spencer, Director Purple House Western Dialysis Service. five hours on the machine with your blood why we’re worrying so much for family, not “That won’t just be a great loss to centres across the lands, finally made it going through and getting cleaned” just for my family, any family” she said. individuals, families and communities happen according to Ms Brown. Ms Brown explained but to the whole Australian community. I “Our people pass away, a lot of people. “People from the APY Lands have been The large distances between regional mean you just have to go around Adelaide And we talked to our people – we got to asking for help with this for a long time, centres or capital cities, where most at the moment with Tarnanthi on to see wake up and do something, you know. and they’ve been really keen to have dialysis services are located, and the creativity and rich culture and living People getting sick – old people, middle something they could do to help us communities has a big impact on the lives languages that are a gift to all Australians aged, young ones too, will be one day to get it going, and this auction was of Aboriginal people with kidney disease. and it’s really important that we find ways young people. That’s why we keep going to celebrate and honour that and make something that everyone could get really helping people, all of the community” “Kintore is seven hours drive from sure that gets passed on” she said. enthusiastic about and really excited Alice Springs, Pukatja is five hours, Ms Spencer explained. about” she said. quite rough roads. Community based fundraising efforts like As well as the personal factors, this week’s art auction have been a staple “Now we’ve got a date that we’re working “So people basically have to pack up their having people in their own homes has of the Purple House’s history, however a towards, they’ve raised the money that lives and move either to Alice or Darwin an impact on each small community, review of Medicare currently underway will get the nurses employed and get or Perth or Adelaide. Sometimes they’re Ms Brown explained. could see more reliable sources of people home. bringing their families with them, who “It’s incredibly important that people are Government funding. are leaving their jobs and their schools That collaboration across communities back on community and looked after by to try and make a life in a capital city. “There’s been a committee set up of Aboriginal people is powerful, Sometimes they’re coming by themselves their family and that they’re passing on recommending that a new Medicare item Ms Brown says. and they are incredibly homesick and their cultural heritage to their kids and number be set up for a dialysis done in “This is a story about Aboriginal people lonely. Life becomes all about waiting for their grandkids, looking after sacred sites, a remote community and it’s got lots of having a problem, coming up with their your next dialysis day, waiting for family looking after the country, and being there support, and bipartisan support, across own solutions, seeing it be a resounding, to come and pick you up, waiting to die” for ceremony and sorry business. Because Government and Opposition. howling success and then being able to she said. that’s how the culture is passed on. “So we’re really hoping that’s going to go help other people do the same thing. This “There’s a real risk that if people aren’t Marlene Spencer is a Director of Purple ahead soon, but up until then things like is about Aboriginal people having agency given the opportunity to return to country House and was one of the community the auction yesterday mean that we can over their lives, and being able to have that this vital cultural knowledge, which members who first took the initiative push on ahead and get things open and some hope and optimism for the future has been passed on from generation get some people home ” Ms Brown said. to establish remote dialysis services in of their communities, and making sure Northern Territory communities. to generation will actually be lost” The opening of the first service in the that their grandkids get to learn the right Ms Brown said. “Because from the start, people dying APY Lands has been a long time coming way from the right people. And it’s about from the kidney disease, we seen a lot of Ms Brown believes that that loss also and it was fitting that the APY Art families looking after each other, it’s people in our country, in Kintore. That’s has an impact on the wider community. Collective, which represents seven art fabulous” she said. 2 Aboriginal Way, Summer 2018 Native title groups from across the state meet Continued from page 1 Both of those funds accept applications at any time, though the PM&C Regional Offices. Representatives from PBCs present spoke about their communities, country Representatives from the Indigenous and organisations and took opportunities Land Corporation also spoke about to discuss and debate services and funding available to PBCs under the reforms that were raised during the “Our Land Our Future” program. Open two-day meeting. year around, the program assists Indigenous people to manage, use, Key issues discussed at the forum care for, acquire and improve land for included the proposed Native Title Act indigenous benefit. reforms, state based reform initiatives, funding available through PM&C and State-based reform changes to the NNTC which give PBCs The forum was taking place at a time of a greater role in its operation.