Healthy Land A b o r i g i n a l YarnCultural Heritage A Landholder guide to Aboriginal Cultural Heritage in the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM region Healthy Land Aboriginal YarnCultural Heritage A Landholder guide to Aboriginal Cultural Heritage in the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM region Healthy Land Yarn Copyright 2008 Burdekin Solutions Ltd. Published by Burdekin Solutions Ltd trading as NQ Dry Tropics. The Copyright Act 1968 permits fair dealing for study, research, news reporting, criticism or review. Selected passages, table or diagrams may be reproduced for such purposes provide acknowledgement of the source is included. Major extracts of the entire document may not be reproduced by any process without written permission of the Chief Executive Officer, NQ Dry Tropics. NQ Dry Tropics 2 McIlwraith St Townsville Qld 4810 PO Box 1466 Townsville Qld 4810 Ph: (07) 4724 3544 Fax: (07) 4724 3577 Email: [email protected] Further copies may be obtained from NQ Dry Tropics or from our website www.nqdrytropics.com.au Graphic Design by Kristy Day Graphic Design Email: [email protected] With funding from the Australian and Queensland State Government Healthy Land Yarn Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Contents Background ................................................................................................ 6 Acknowledgments ........................................................................................ 7 Purpose of Healthy Land Yarn ........................................................................ 8 Aboriginal Parties Contact ....................................................................... 9-10 Our Country, Our Culture, Our Stories .................................................... 11-23 Case Study: Ted Cunningham ..................................................................... 24 Queensland’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 ........................................ 25 Duty of Care ............................................................................................. 26 Duty of Care Guidelines .............................................................................. 27 What it means to Landholders ..................................................................... 28 Glossary of Terms ................................................................................. 30-31 Background The Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM region is located It identifies the region’s natural resource in north east Queensland. The region is defined assets and the short, medium and long term by the Burdekin River catchment and adjacent (up to 2050) actions and targets needed to coastal catchments from Crystal Creek in the minimise threats to them. north and the Don River in the south. With input from Traditional Owners and the NQ Dry Tropics is a community based wider community, NQ Dry Tropics produced not-for-profit organisation. It was established the Traditional Custodian of Country in the in 2002 to deliver natural resource planning Burdekin Dry Tropics Region – A Caring for and management activities and to enhance the Country Plan (2005). This plan captures community’s involvement in the management Traditional Owner aspirations for management of its natural resources. of land and sea country. NQ Dry Tropics is led by a board of directors These two plans provide guidance for ongoing with a broad range of governance, community, natural resource management priorities and land management, science and technical activities across the region. Ongoing stakeholder backgrounds. The directors represent engagement is used to review the actions and Traditional Owner groups, local government targets of these plans. and regional natural resource management organisations. NQ Dry Tropics have partnerships with 16 identified Traditional Owner groups in Through input from the community, the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM region. stakeholders, government agencies, scientists and others, NQ Dry Tropics developed the Burdekin Dry Tropics Natural Resource Management Plan (2005-2010). The Plan is endorsed by both the State and Australian Governments. 1. Nywaigi 9. Gudjal 2. Wulgurukaba 10. Gugu Badhun 3. Bindal 11. Warungnu 4. Juru 12. Manbarra 5. Gia 13. Iningai 6. Jangga 14. Wangan/Jangalingou 7. Birri 15. Bidjara 8. Wiri 16. Yirendali Twelve of the above 16 Traditional Owner groups have contributed significant stories for this booklet, Healthy Land Yarn. Cultural heritage is something all Queenslanders can rightly feel proud about. To reinforce and support our cultural heritage the Queensland Parliament passed the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003, which is administered by the Department of Environment and Resource Management. This map shows the Traditional Owner groups Healthy Land Yarn Land Healthy of the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM region and their approximate areas of interest. pg 6 This Healthy Land Yarn information booklet extend lease terms to Indigenous access and contributes to the management of cultural use agreements. It has also strengthened resources as identified by the Traditional Owner the requirement to manage Indigenous A Caring for Country Plan (2005). It provides cultural heritage by including them in information about the different types of cultural land management agreements. These are heritage found in the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM negotiated agreements between the region. This booklet also outlines legislation, leaseholder and the government for duty of care and contact information for managing the leasehold land. Traditional Owners. A major land management initiative significant to the Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM region with implications for the management of cultural heritage is the Delbessie Agreement 2007. The agreement provides a framework for the sustainable use and management of rural leasehold land. It has linked lease term length and the ability to Acknowledgements The development of the Healthy Land Yarn This booklet was produced through the information booklet began with discussions commitment of Jim Gaston and John between the Dalrymple Landcare Committee, Richter of the Department of Environment Department of Environment and Resource and Resource Management; staff at NQ Management, NQ Dry Tropics and Gudjal Dry Tropics; Leah Saltner, who provided Traditional Owners. an innovative approach to sharing Cultural Heritage with the landholder community; NQ Dry Tropics acknowledges the Traditional Linda Hygate; and Juelisa Nash. Owners and landholders who participated in this project: NQ Dry Tropics would also like to acknowledge the support of the Dalrymple Landcare • Bill Morganson and Charlie Morganson, Committee through the Clarke River & Warungnu Traditional Owner group East Burdekin project. • Jacob Cassady, Elliot Cassady, Phil Rist, Nywaigi Traditional Owner group • Walter Palm Island, Malcolm Mabo, Nat Surha, Manbarra Traditional Owner group Special Acknowledgement • Arthur Johnson, Michael Johnson, We give a special acknowledgement to Wulgurukaba Traditional Owner group Ted Cunningham and his family. Sadly • Emmanuel Ross, Kevin Ross, Bindal Ted passed away during the development Traditional Owner group of the booklet. We thank his partner • Harry Gertz, Ailsa Snider, Gugu Badhun for her approval in showcasing Ted’s Traditional Owner group strong relationship with the Juru, Birri • Vincent Reid, Gordon Santo, Val Alberts, and Jangga Traditional Owners and Gudjal Traditional Owner group his amazing insight to the benefits of • Renarta Prior and Edward Smallwood, preserving Aboriginal cultural heritage Juru Traditional Owner group for all Australians. • Sheryl Wake, Gia Traditional Owner group • Norman Johnson, Wirri Traditional Owner group • Colin McLennan and Dorothy Hustler, Yarn Land Healthy Jangga Traditional Owner group • Jim Hill, Yirandali Traditional Owner group pg 7 Healthy Land Yarn Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Purpose of the Healthy Land Yarn The purpose of the Healthy Land Yarn cultural Representatives from as many of the Traditional heritage information booklet is to assist Owner groups as possible were involved in landholders to identify areas, places or objects gathering their stories about areas and places on their property that are culturally significant of significance for this booklet. Where possible to Traditional Owners. It provides contacts for we have included photographs to show these those wanting to learn more about the cultural aspects of our natural and cultural heritage. heritage of the land under their management. “Aboriginal Parties” under the Aboriginal The Healthy Land Yarn information booklet Cultural Heritage Act 2003 provides information about the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 and explains In the legislation, an Aboriginal Party is defined landholder ’Duty of Care’ requirements under as a Registered Native Title Holder or Claimant. the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003. This includes cases where claim to native title fails or where native title is extinguished This booklet contains contact details for (unless someone else becomes registered as Traditional Owner groups within the Burdekin a Native Title Party). Dry Tropics region and relevant ’Aboriginal parties‘ under the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage In the absence of a Native Title Party, the Act 2003. The Healthy Land Yarn also explains Aboriginal Party is the Aboriginal person Indigenous access and use agreements - why, with particular knowledge about traditions, what, when and who can enter into them. observances, customs or beliefs and who is recognised by Aboriginal tradition as