YMAC Members’ News

Nyiyaparli people sign major iron ore mining agreement

Posted: August 20th, 2012

Filed under: agreement, BHP Billiton, Newman, Nyiyaparli, Pilbara, YMAC

The Nyiyaparli people of the Pilbara region of WA have announced that they have entered into a major mining agreement with BHP Billiton Iron Ore (BHPBIO). The agreement covers all of BHPBIO’s iron ore operations within the Nyiyaparli people’s native title claim and offers substantial heritage protection, financial benefits, and non-financial benefits to the Nyiyaparli people.

Click here to download the full media release from our website.

YMAC congratulates the Nyiyaparli people on the successful negotiations.

New YMAC publication offers cultural advice

Posted: August 14th, 2012

Filed under: Cultural Awareness, Cultural Protocols, Pilbara, Yamatji., YMAC

YMAC has today launched a Cultural Advice booklet for people working with Aboriginal people in the Midwest or Pilbara regions of WA. The booklet was produced with the advice and guidance of Traditional Owners, to give a short summary of cultural protocols people should be aware of. “Each of the native title claim groups we represents has their own unique culture, but this guide has been designed to give broad advice for meetings and on-country visits. Non-Indigenous people from the private sector or government often come to do business with Traditional Owners and ask for advice on protocols. This guide serves as a good starting point,” said YMAC CEO Simon Hawkins. Download a pdf version from YMAC’s website here, or email srosenfeld@ymac.org.au if you would like to receive a hard copy.

Congratulations to YMAC’s Nyaparu Rose – Landcare Award Finalist

Posted: August 9th, 2012

Filed under: 2012 National Landcare Awards, Coastal Protection, Landcare Australia, Nyaparu Rose, Pilbara, Pilbara Indigenous Marine Reference Group, YMAC

The finalists for the 2012 National Landcare Awards have been announced, and all Australians can get involved by voting in the ‘People’s Choice’ category.

Landcare is a community based volunteer movement made up of individuals and groups who work on managing environmental issues in their local areas. The awards aim to showcase the breadth and diversity of the work undertaken by people across the country who volunteer their time to protect Australia’s land and coast.

YMAC would like to extend a special congratulations to Nyangumarta woman, Nyaparu Rose, who has been selected as a finalist. Ms Rose has worked tirelessly with Pilbara Traditional Owners to ensure their voice is heard in discussions about the management of coastal and marine environments in the region.

Ms Rose helped to establish the Pilbara Indigenous Marine Reference Group (PIMRG), which includes representatives from six Pilbara Traditional Owner groups. The PIMRG aims to consolidate traditional knowledge from the region so that Traditional Owners can more effectively conduct negotiations with government and industry on cultural and coastal protection.

If you would like to vote for Nyaparu Rose in the National Landcare Awards, click here and follow the prompts. Ms Rose is in category 7, under ‘WA – Yamatji Marlpa’.

Voting closes 4pm (EST) Tuesday 4th September, and winners will be announced that day at the Awards ceremony, held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre.

YMAC would like to congratulate all finalists who have been nominated for an award.

Click here for more information on Nyaparu Rose’s achievements, and here for a list of all the other 2012 Landcare Awards finalists.

Native Title Stories: Susan Oakley

Posted: August 7th, 2012

Filed under: Malgana, native title, Pilbara Regional Committee, Susan Oakley, Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, YMAC Board of Directors

Watch Yamatji Committee member Susan Oakley share her experiences and reflections on native title in Australia.

This is the second in a series of interviews with our Committee and Board Members, in which they share their stories of country and culture. To see the previous interview with Yamatji Committee member Ben Roberts, click here.

Susan Oakley

Posted: August 7th, 2012

Filed under: Susan Oakley

Watch Yamatji Committee member Susan Oakley share her experiences and reflections on native title in Australia.

Lunchtime Learning with Fred Taylor – Making a positive impact on Aboriginal families

Posted: August 2nd, 2012

Filed under: CityHive, Fred Taylor, Geraldton, Pollinators Inc, Yamatji Mining and Civil

Lunchtime Learning sessions at CityHive in Geraldton are a simple yet invigorating affair, designed to give you an injection of inspiration mid-day, mid-week. The free sessions run from 12:35 to 13:35 so they fit within lunch hour, and are byo lunch. Participation is for Pollinators members, and you can sign up on the day.

On Wednesday, 8 August Fred Taylor will be presenting on “Making a positive impact on Aboriginal families”. The session is free, but registration is required.

Click here for more information and to register for the event.

Fred Taylor is a Yamatji senior and leader in the Yamatji community, is a custodian of the country and is recognised as a spokesperson for the Yamatji region. He has extensive experience as a public officer in Aboriginal and Government agencies. He has worked as the Regional Manager and Aboriginal Liason Officer for the Yamatji Land and Sea Council and has also worked for the Midwest, Gascoyne & Murchison Areas Native Title Working Group.

CityHive is a social enterprise operated by Pollinators Inc, a non-profit, member-based organisation serving a growing community of social entrepreneurs. Pollinators Inc provides information, training, coaching, support and the physical, cultural and institutional ‘space’ to our region’s social entrepreneurs to take their ideas to the next level. For more information on CityHive Geraldton, visit their website, or click here to learn more about Pollinators Inc.

YMAC Congratulates Janet Stewart for NAIDOC Award!

Posted: July 20th, 2012

Filed under: Mothers Against Drugs., Mothers of Australia Shed, NAIDOC 2012 awards, NAIDOC Week 2012, Nyangumarta, Pilbara Indigenous Women's Aboriginal Corporation, South Hedland, Wangka Maya

YMAC would like to extend a big congratulations to Janet Stewart, who was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2012 Hedland NAIDOC Awards two weekends ago for her work mentoring Aboriginal chidlren.

Mrs Stewart is Nyangumarta woman and local teacher at South Hedland Primary School, where she teaches traditional language.

She has also helped to establish Nyangumarta dictionaries through the Wangka Maya Aboriginal Language Centre, and is strongly involved in several Indigenous women’s organisations such as the Mothers of Australia Shed, Pilbara Indigenous Women’s Aboriginal Corporation and Mothers Against Drugs.

We also congratulate all other nominees, finalists and award winners.

For more information about NAIDOC week 2012, visit the NAIDOC website.

YMAC in the WA Business News

Posted: July 12th, 2012

Filed under: YMAC

YMAC’s CEO Simon Hawkins features on the front cover of this week’s WA Business News in an article on native title agreements.

The article highlights how far native title agreements have come, and how sophisticated many of them now are in terms of commercial arrangements, governance, partnerships and future planning. Last year’s agreements between four Pilbara groups represented by YMAC and Rio Tinto Iron Ore are used as an example.

Click here to view the article or download a pdf here

YMAC Celebrates NAIDOC week

Posted: July 9th, 2012

Filed under: Geraldton, NAIDOC, NAIDOC Week 2012, Port Hedland, Tom Price.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this NAIDOC week special. Here are just a few photos from last week, when YMAC staff got to speak to people across Pilbara, in Geraldton and in Perth. We hope everyone had a great week celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and achievements

NAIDOC in Geraldton

NAIDOC in Port Hedland

NAIDOC in Tom Price