Posts By: Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation

Wattandee Littlewell Aboriginal Corporation Elders Connect & NAIDOC Day event

Posted: July 27th, 2023

Wattandee Littlewell Aboriginal Corporation are hosting their Elders Connect and NAIDOC Day event on Wednesday 13 September 2023.

Wattandee Elders and families are invited back to Littlewell Aboriginal Reserve Mingenew to share stories of connection, culture, and Country. The event will include a Welcome to Country, smoking ceremony, Wattandeee dancers, yarning circles, an Elders Table with bush tea and bush medicines, as well as lunch and drinks.

For more information, please contact Tristan Mongoo at Tristan.mongoo@hotmail.com, or by calling 0475 374 497.

Heritage Council of Western Australia seeking new members

Posted: July 17th, 2023

The Heritage Council of Western Australia is looking for six people to become members.

Nominations are now open for experienced and qualified individuals committed to the identification and conservation of WA’s heritage places.

The Council makes recommendations to the Heritage Minister on entries to the State Register of Heritage Places and assists other government agencies and relevant authorities in the management and development of those places, whilst also determining the State’s heritage strategy and policies.

Applicants should have knowledge and experience in heritage matters. The Government is particularly interested in people with specialist experience in Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Further details and application packages can be found here: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/heritage-council-of-western-australia, or by calling 08 6551 8002.

Applications close Friday 11 August 2023.

Learn more about ‘ACHKnowledge’: the new government database for managing Aboriginal cultural heritage in WA

Posted: July 7th, 2023

As part of the new Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 that has come into effect from 1 July 2023, the old Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 Section 18 approvals process has been replaced by a tiered system.

To replace Section 18 the government have launched an online system – ACHKnowledge – to provide a centralised location for the management of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage (ACH) data and to help with statutory compliance of the management of ACH.

As part of this new system, the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage (DPLH) has announced it is allowing for organisational accounts to be set up.

Education sessions have been set up in a range of locations, including:

• Perth – Wednesday 12 July
• Mt Magnet – Thursday 27 July
• Meekatharra – Friday 28 July
• Carnamah – Wednesday 2 August
• Carnarvon – Thursday 10 August
• Geraldton – Wednesday 16 August

Register attendance at any of the above sessions via this link: Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2021 Education workshop schedule (www.wa.gov.au)

The DPLH are also offering briefings on organisational accounts, which can be organised by calling them on (08) 6551 8002.

To learn more, visit the DPLH website at Understanding ACHknowledge Webinar Series (www.wa.gov.au)

Wanted: your views on fisheries management

Posted: June 7th, 2023

The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is working on a national strategy for engagement with First Nations groups and Federal agencies responsible for fisheries management – and wants to hear from Native Title Representative Bodies (NTRBs) and Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBCs).

Both the FRDC and UTS are developing collaborative workshops focused on fisheries and marine management issues and are committed to a mutual benefit and co-design model for any First Nations peoples wishing to express their views.

It follows changes made to the Fisheries Management Act 1991 in 2017 that require the Australian Fisheries Management Authority to consider the interests of Indigenous, commercial and recreational fishers in Commonwealth fisheries management decisions.

Dr Nick McClean from the Climate Society and Environment Research Centre at UTS welcomes input on how the strategy should be developed via nicholas.mcclean@uts.edu.au. Read more about the project.

Call to stop inflation impacting Indigenous ranger work

Posted: May 29th, 2023

Country Needs People (CNP), the national not-for-profit supporting Indigenous land and sea management, is urging the Federal Government to make sure inflation does not undermine the important work of Indigenous rangers and Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) in looking after Country.

With inflation running at more than seven per cent, CNP is concerned indexation of the Indigenous land and sea sector is not keeping up with inflation and effectively means a cut to their land and sea management efforts, if not addressed.

“We understand Indigenous ranger contracts nationally have an inflation adjustment figure of 1.6% or less per annum which is woefully inadequate,” CNP CEO Patrick O’Leary said. “If something does not change this will equate to millions of dollars of effective cuts across the sector, which will be felt keenly at the grassroots level by every group.”

CNP is calling on the Federal Government to ensure there is an automatic adjustment in the contracts of each Indigenous ranger team – and IPA – to ensure their operating funds do not suffer cuts in real terms, allowing them to have the resources they need to look after Country.

Read more about CNP’s concerns. YMAC’s Land and Sea Management unit provides support for the Nyangumarta rangers program.

Affirmation for reconciliation at virtual breakfast

Posted: May 25th, 2023

YMAC congratulates Reconciliation WA and Reconciliation Australia on a fantastic and timely National Reconciliation Week Virtual Breakfast today.

Following YMAC’s endorsement of the “yes” vote in relation to the referendum question on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, the breakfast event highlighted the vital importance of an Aboriginal Voice to Parliament.

The event was broadcast live from Boola Bardip WA Museum to participants across the State, in the lead-up to National Reconciliation Week from 27 May until 3 June. YMAC’s staff joined thousands of viewers across Western Australia from its head office in Perth and regional offices in Carnarvon, Hedland, Broome and Geraldton.

This year’s theme – “Be a voice for generations” – is very fitting in this referendum year. After a Welcome to Country from Aunty Robyn Collard, the event line-up included a mix of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal leaders speaking of their commitment to reconciliation and presenting compelling reasons to vote “yes” in the referendum later this year.

Find out what’s happening in WA during National Reconciliation Week

YMAC staff and guests watching former Socceroo Craig Foster speak during the breakfast.

WA Biodiscovery Bill information sessions

Posted: May 2nd, 2023

The State Government’s Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation is developing new biodiscovery legislation for Western Australia and holding information sessions across the State during May.

The Biodiscovery Bill will set out processes to ensure that, if Traditional Knowledge associated with a genetic resource has been shared with a researcher, the benefits are shared with the Traditional Knowledge custodians on mutually agreed terms.

The information sessions will detail recommendations from the first consultation phase in 2022 and a proposed model for the Bill. Dates and location are as follows:

• Broome: 10am-2pm, Friday, 12 May
• Kununurra: 10am-2pm, Monday, 15 May
• Albany: 10am-2pm, Monday, 22 May
• Port Hedland: 10am-2pm, Wednesday, 24 May
• Kalgoorlie: 10am-2pm, Friday, 26 May
• Geraldton: 10am-2pm, Monday, 29 May
• Perth: 1pm-5pm, Wednesday, 31 May

The sessions will be facilitated by Roanna Edwards from PricewaterhouseCoopers Indigenous Consulting. Register your place here and learn more at the WA Biodiscovery Bill website.

While the department is unable to pay sitting fees for attendance, it may be able to provide support for Traditional Owners to travel to attend a workshop. Email biodiscovery@jtsi.wa.gov.au or call (08) 6277 3000 to discuss.

Up to $60,000 grants available for Aboriginal arts

Posted: May 1st, 2023

The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries is offering grants between $15,000 and $60,000 for Aboriginal artists, creative industry professionals and organisations to deliver one-off projects or a single program of activity.

Applications for the Arts 15k-plus grant program should meet one or more of the following objectives:

• promoting or facilitating greater engagement of Aboriginal communities in the arts
• encouraging the expression of traditional and contemporary Aboriginal culture, individuality, spirituality and empowerment through the arts
• encouraging the involvement of Aboriginal arts expertise, skills, knowledge and resources
• supporting long-term skills development goals for Aboriginal artists, arts workers and communities
• supporting Aboriginal cultural maintenance
• delivering artistic and social outcomes for Aboriginal communities through the arts.

Read more about the guidelines. Applications close 4pm, 1 June, for events or projects starting 1 September 2023.

AEC launches Referendum Disinformation Register

Posted: April 28th, 2023

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has launched a Referendum Disinformation Register to help stop mistruths spreading about referendum processes, in relation to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

As part of this, the AEC has made it clear it is not fact-checking claims about the Yes or No case for a referendum, nor is it seeking to censor debate in any way – the register is about the processes surrounding how the referendum works.

“The message here is simple,” Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said. “The AEC will not tolerate the spread of mistruths about our referendum processes, no matter the source.

“While we’ll be active in communicating about referendum processes, it’s up to voters to stop and consider information they see, hear or read from ‘yes’ and ‘no’ campaigns.

“The Australian vote belongs to all Australians and there is freedom of political communication. However, if you spread incorrect information about the process we run – deliberately or otherwise – we will correct you.”

The register also includes a section to help readers identify tactics used to spread electoral disinformation.