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Yamatji

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yamatji(orYamaji) is aWajarriword that has at least two different meanings:

Yamatji peoples were involved ina large native title claimsince 1996, resulting in an historic determination in February 2020, involving both native title and anIndigenous land use agreementcovering an area of 48,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi).

Native Title claims

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TheYamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation(YMAC) is "recognised as a Native Title Representative Body under Section (s) 203AD of theNative Title Act 1993(Cth) (NTA) to preserve, protect and promote the recognition of native title in the Yamatji and Marlpa regions of Western Australia (WA). As an Aboriginal corporation, YMAC is governed by theCorporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006(Cth) ".[3]

There have been four executive directors of the YMAC: Wayne Warner (1996-1998); former AFL footballerClinton Wolf(1998-2001);Roger Cook(2001-2003) and current CEO Simon Hawkins (2003–present). YMAC was until 2017 co-chaired by Pilbara representative Doris Eaton[b]and Yamatji representative Ben Roberts.[5]Peter Windie (Yamatji) and Natalie Parker (Pilbara) have held the positions since then.[5]

Claims

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As of 2017 the Yamatji had made two of the twelve claims for native title in theGeraldtonregion.[6]One, concerning the Wajarri Yamatji, was filed in 2004.[7]The second was filed by the Southern Yamatji in 2017.[8]

The claim process was started in 1996, including several different groups making overlapping claims. In February 2016, aFederal Court of Australiajudicial registrar convened mediation, resulting in outstanding overlaps being resolved and the commencement of negotiations with theWestern Australian Government.In 2019, more than 1,000 claimants from four different claim groups came together in the Yamatji Nation Southern Regional Agreement, which brought together the claims of Southern Yamatji, Hutt River, Mullewa Wadjari and Widi Mob groups.[9]

After two years of intense negotiations, on 7 February 2020 the Yamatji Nation was awarded both native title recognition and aA$450million package, for a claim of an area covering nearly 48,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi), as far north asKalbarri,east toYalgoo,and south toDalwallinu.There are about 9,000traditional ownersinvolved in the claim. It was the first time in Australia that both native title recognition and anIndigenous land use agreementhave been determined simultaneously. The decision had special significance for the Yamatji people, because of the widespread physical dispossession of their lands.[9]

As a result of the decision, Yamatji Nation will hold non-exclusive possession rights over parts of the former Barnong, Menai Hills and Kadji Kadjipastoral leases,as well as land nearWanda Nature Reserve,Lucky Bayand Aboriginal Lands Trust areas inCarnamah,KadathiniandEneabba.It does not give them the right to control access and use of an area, but it does allow them to access, hunt and camp on this country. A conservation area will be created under joint management, empowering the traditional owners to be able to care for their country, and will offer opportunities forIndigenous rangerprograms in the region.[9]

Minister for Indigenous Australians,Ken Wyatt,stressed the significance of the decision, saying "It gives, through this determination, traditional owners a place at the table. You are no longer sitting outside waiting for a decision, you are co-developing, co-designing the future".[9]

Boolardy/MRO ILUA

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Boolardy Station,the site of theMurchison Radio-astronomy Observatory(MRO), lies on the traditional lands of the Wajarri. TheCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation(CSIRO) and theAustralian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder(ASKAP) office have been working with a group of Wajarri Yamatji people to enable the variousradio telescopeprojects located on the MRO to proceed.[10]For several years leading up to 2020, negotiations have been taking place ahead of the signing of an ILUA between the Wajarri people and the CSIRO, guided by the federalDepartment of Industry, Innovation and Science(in 2020 the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources).[11]

About 15 traditional owners are involved in the negotiations, representing different groups. There are challenges involved in working out how to respect the cultural significance of the area, and how to build the infrastructure (ultimately part of the internationalSquare Kilometre Array(SKA) project) with minimal disruption to the landscape. Surveys of heritage sites have been undertaken, but the work and negotiations were somewhat disrupted by theCOVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[11]

Notable Yamatji

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Notes

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  1. ^"yamatji..is commonly in the Murchison for anyone of Aboriginal descent who was born in the district. Other terms are applied to other districts: for instance, Aborigines from farther east are calledWanmala,and those from the south-westNunga(Noongar). "[2]
  2. ^Eaton was recognised as theNAIDOCFemale Elder of the Year in 2009.[4]

Citations

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  1. ^Douglas 1981,p. 260.
  2. ^abDouglas 1981,p. 199.
  3. ^"Annual Report 2021"(PDF).Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation.
  4. ^YMAC 2009.
  5. ^abYMAC News 2017.
  6. ^NNTT 2017.
  7. ^Wajarri 2004.
  8. ^SY 2017.
  9. ^abcdMeachim, Laura (7 February 2020)."'It is your land': Traditional owners granted native title and funding deal in Australian first ".ABC News.Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Retrieved8 February2020.
  10. ^"Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory".CSIRO.Retrieved21 December2020.
  11. ^abPrendergast, Joanna; Lewis, Chris (7 November 2020)."Why stargazers, modern and ancient, covet a tract of land in Australia's arid heart".ABC News.Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Retrieved21 December2020.
  12. ^Breen 1991,p. 17.
  13. ^Harrold & Whitby 1996,p. 18.
  14. ^Nicol 2017.
  15. ^Taylor & Bodey 2011.
  16. ^Wyatt 2015.
  17. ^Tucak 2010.

Sources

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