YMAC Members' News

Feb12 2013

YMAC’s Regional Director in Pilbara Exhibition

Posted: February 12th, 2013

Filed under: FORM., Peter Jeffries, Pilbara, Pilbara Stories, The Pilbrara Project

Are you interested in finding out more about life and culture in the Pilbara region of Western Australia?

Perth’s FORM gallery is currently hosting Pilbara Stories, a photographic exhibition capturing the diversity and individuality of everyday Pilbara life.

The exhibition features YMAC’s own Pilbara Regional Manager, Peter Jeffries, and is open now at the FORM gallery in Perth until 20 April 2013, and the Courthouse Gallery in Port Hedland from 15 February to 11 April 2013.

Pilbara Stories is part of FORM’s ongoing ‘Pilbara Project’, which aims to encourage local people from the region to celebrate their own unique identity.

For more information, visit the Pilbara Stories website.

Feb5 2013

Yinhawangka People Sign Native Title Agreement with Rio Tinto

Posted: February 5th, 2013

Filed under: Darren Injie, Paraburdoo, Pilbara, Rio Tinto, Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, Yinhawangka

Yinhawangka Country

The Yinhawangka People of the Pilbara region of Western Australia have announced a major agreement with Rio Tinto.

The Yinhawangka People are the native title claimants and traditional custodians of approximately one million hectares of land and waters in the central Pilbara, including the mining town of Paraburdoo. The agreement covers Rio Tinto’s existing, current and future iron ore mining operations within Yinhawangka country and, importantly, establishes protocols for the protection of homeland communities and areas of special significance. This includes the exclusion of an area of outstanding cultural significance to the Yinhawangka People.

It provides a range of economic and non-economic benefits for the Yinhawangka People, including significant financial benefits from mining on their traditional country; special treatment of areas of high cultural significance; employment and training opportunities; support for Pilbara Aboriginal business development and contracting; and a collaborative approach to environmental and cultural heritage management.

Yinhawangka Traditional Owner, Darren Injie, said it had taken over twenty years of hard work for the Yinhawangka People to establish their homeland communities and reach today’s milestone.

“I want to acknowledge a lot of important people whose leadership contributed to this agreement, and who are no longer with us today. This wasn’t the work of one or two people, it’s been a community effort. I also thank Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation; we would not have an agreement with this kind of scope and integrity without their ongoing support.”

Click here to read the full media release.

Jan30 2013

Protection of Aboriginal Culture through Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park

Posted: January 30th, 2013

Filed under: Aboriginal cultural heritage., Department of Environment and Conservation, Eighty Mile Beach, Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park, Karajarri, Ngarla, Nyangumarta, Pilbara

A new marine park created to protect the natural and cultural values of the Pilbara’s Eighty Mile Beach will for the first time in Western Australia include special recognition for sites of high Aboriginal cultural significance.

The Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park is the result of collaborative efforts between the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) and Indigenous Traditional Owners who have worked together to ensure the protection of Aboriginal heritage in Western Australia.

The marine park will be jointly managed between DEC and Karajarri, Nyangumarta and Ngarla Traditional Owners, and will include special ‘cultural heritage’ zones acknowledging the existence of cultural values in the area.

Click here to read the full Ministerial media statement.

Click to Enlarge

Dec20 2012

YMAC Christmas Shutdown and Heritage Surveys

Posted: December 20th, 2012

Filed under: Geraldton, Karratha, Mid West, Perth, Pilbara, South Hedland, Tom Price., YMAC, YMAC Board of Directors, YMAC Christmas Shutdown

For many Aboriginal Communities in the Midwest and Pilbara, December to January is a special time of year to observe cultural obligations and practices.

Out of respect for these traditions, YMAC will not be conducting any heritage surveys between Monday 17 December 2012 and Friday 1 February 2013.

Any heritage survey requests received after 17 December will be scheduled to commence after 1 February.

Thank you for your understanding.

All YMAC offices in Perth, Geraldton, Karratha, South Hedland and Tom Price will be closed during the festive season from Thursday 20th December 2012, re-opening on Wednesday 2 January 2013.

YMAC’s Board of Directors, Pilbara and Yamatji Regional Committees, Management and Staff would like to wish you a happy and safe festive season.

Dec20 2012

Ngarlawangga People and Montezuma Sign Agreement South of Newman

Posted: December 20th, 2012

Filed under: Aboriginal Heritage Act, Butcherbird manganese project, Montezuma, Newman, Ngarlawangga, Simon Hawkins, YMAC

The Ngarlawangga native title group today announced the signing of an agreement with Montezuma Mining Company Ltd (Montezuma) for the Butcherbird manganese project over 23,000 hectares of their traditional country, south of Newman, as well as consents to future mining in the area.

The agreement has seen Traditional Owners and Montezuma develop a framework for how they will continue working with each other, including assisting Ngarlawangga people into employment, agreed processes and timeframes by which heritage clearances will take place and support for tendering for new contracts for community businesses.

The signing includes an agreed process should the mining company apply for permission to disturb heritage sites, which provides both parties with a guaranteed consultation process under the Aboriginal Heritage Act (WA).

Ngarlawangga Traditional Owner Dianne Limerick said, “The discussions with Montezuma went well – we’re now hoping for jobs and business contracts to develop from this agreement.”

Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) CEO Simon Hawkins said, “Montezuma listened and responded to the community’s needs throughout the process. In turn, the Ngarlawangga people were able to reach agreement quickly, giving the company certainty. Both parties are particularly focused on supporting new and existing Ngarlawangga contracting companies to benefit from this project, including incentives for community businesses”.

Click here to read the full media release.

Dec12 2012

41,000 year-old Pilbara Aboriginal Site to be Protected

Posted: December 12th, 2012

Filed under: Archae-aus, Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), Heritage, Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation, Nyiyaparli, Pilbara, Rock Art, YMAC

Photo Courtesy of Fortescue Metals Group

Nyiyaparli Traditional Owners from the Pilbara region of Western Australia, today announced the oldest occupation dates ever found in the region. Working with archaeologists from the heritage company Archae-aus, the Nyiyaparli Heritage Sub-Committee and Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation have revealed that charcoals found while excavating a rock shelter are more than 41,000 years old, according to carbon-dating analysis.

Nyiyaparli elder and Heritage Sub-Committee member David Stock said, “We feel proud that this evidence of our ancestors has been found and are happy it will be protected. This kind of work shows Australians that our heritage is very important and that it can be protected”.

Nyiyaparli elder and Heritage Sub-Committee member Gordon Yuline said “We have to keep the caves to show the young people how the old people used to live. It is very important we protect these places and we are able to go there and teach the young ones.”

The shelter site would be protected by a buffer zone and that Nyiyaparli Traditional Owners have requested further research be carried out at the important site.

Click here to read the full media release.

Nov20 2012

Native title agreement recognises the importance of water

Posted: November 20th, 2012

Filed under: agreement, Cyril Lockyer, Iron Ore Holdings, Kuruma Marthudunera, Pilbara, Simon Hawkins

Kurama and Marthudunera Traditional Owners Bernadette Evans, Roy Evans, Joan Evans and Cyril Lockyer with YMAC staff and IOH representatives

The Kurama and Marthudunera (K&M) native title group today announced the signing of an agreement with Iron Ore Holdings Ltd (IOH) over their Buckland Project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

It is the Pilbara’s first native title agreement to provide payments in respect of the use of water and clearance of native vegetation, giving an incentive for IOH to minimise their impact on the environment. IOH also showed flexibility in planning their mine footprint in order to avoid any impact on culturally sensitive sites near the area.

In addition to strong cultural and environmental protection, the agreement provides milestone and production payments, which are now standard features of native title land access agreements.

Kurama and Marthudunera Traditional Owner, Cyril Lockyer said, “The important thing now is to continue our good working relationship. This area is of great significance to the families involved and we want to work closely with Iron Ore Holdings to see these sensitive places protected.”

“This unique agreement is due to the genuine good-will and flexibility shown by both parties, and recognises the cultural and environmental significance of the area for the Traditional Owners. It goes well beyond the requirements of the WA Aboriginal Heritage Act by recognising that water and habitat are inextricably linked to cultural values,” said Simon Hawkins, CEO of Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation.

Nov14 2012

YMAC News issue 19 is here!

Posted: November 14th, 2012

Filed under: BHP Billiton, Bundiyarra, Charmaine Green, Geraldton, Heritage, Irra-Wangga Geraldton Language Program, James Anaya, Mulga Mail, Njamal, Nyiyaparli, ORIC, United Nations, Yamaji Art, Yamaji News, YMAC News

The latest issue of YMAC News is now available for download from our website.

It includes a cover story on the visit the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples made to Njamal country, a special feature on Geraldton Aboriginal community organisations, and a landmark agreement between the Nyiyaparli people and BHP Billiton.

There is also a profile of Yamatji artist, poet and academic Charmaine Green, as well as a staff profile of Fiona Mackenzie, our Geraldton office manager. There is important information on YMAC’s heritage services, information about YMAC’s recent audit by the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC), and of course lots of photos of people and country.

Click here to download YMAC News from our website.

If you have any stories or photos you’d like to share with us, elders who you think we should profile, questions about native title, or any other letters to the editor, send them to editor@ymac.org.au.

We hope you enjoy this issue of YMAC News.

Nov9 2012

Protection for Lake Moore in Midwest WA

Posted: November 9th, 2012

Filed under: Badimia, Heritage, Lake Moore, National Native Title Tribunal, Yamatji.

The Badimia people’s ability to protect one of their most sacred places has recently been given a boost when the WA State Government dropped an appeal of a decision by the National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT). Lake Moore, a dry salt lake in the southern Murchison region of WA, has been found to be culturally significant by the NNTT on several occasions.

The NNTT has repeatedly found that as a site of particular significance, resource exploration licences that overlap the lake cannot be granted without negotiating with the Badimia people first. The State appealed the NNTT’s latest decision on the significance of Lake Moore, but recently discontinued the appeal.

Lake Moore Gypsum, the company seeking an exploration licence, now needs to negotiate with the Badimia people to reach an agreement about the exploration activities.

Lake Moore, located south of Paynes Find, is a very special area where Badimia families go every year to hunt, camp, collect bush medicines, and teach young people about their country and culture. Lake Moore and the surrounding area is not only important as a place for Badimia families to go out on country, but it is home to very sacred places where ceremonies traditionally took place.

YMAC Members’ News

YMAC’s Regional Director in Pilbara Exhibition

Yinhawangka People Sign Native Title Agreement with Rio Tinto

Protection of Aboriginal Culture through Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park

YMAC Christmas Shutdown and Heritage Surveys

Ngarlawangga People and Montezuma Sign Agreement South of Newman

41,000 year-old Pilbara Aboriginal Site to be Protected

Native title agreement recognises the importance of water

YMAC News issue 19 is here!

Protection for Lake Moore in Midwest WA

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