Kariyarra

Kariyarra People celebrate landmark agreement

Posted: October 2nd, 2017

Filed under: agreement, ILUA, Indigenous Land Use Agreement, Kariyarra, native title, WA State Government, Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, YMAC

Kariyarra People celebrate the signing of the Indigenous Landuse Agreement with the State of Western Australia

YMAC congratulates the Kariyarra People and the State of Western Australia on the signing of the Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA), which occurred this morning in Port Hedland. This is a landmark occasion deserving of celebration.

Since 2011, the Kariyarra Working Group members (on behalf of the Kariyarra People) were represented by YMAC, and have been working with expert consultants and government staff across many departments to achieve this landmark ILUA. The agreement offers a benefits package worth $38 million to empower Kariyarra People to end intergenerational poverty and help their families get ahead. The State of Western Australia approved the Kariyarra-State ILUA in Cabinet on 31 July 2017.

Diana Robinson, Kariyarra Elder states, “The ILUA negotiation has been a long, challenging journey that has changed the way we see ourselves and empowered us to create a better future for our people.”

YMAC CEO Simon Hawkins states, “YMAC’s goal is to empower Aboriginal people take a leadership role in their communities to achieve the outcomes they want for themselves. We support our stakeholders to live and work towards a dignified, self-reliant life. On behalf of the staff and Directors of YMAC, I congratulate the Kariyarra and the State of Western Australia, and celebrate with them on this historic occasion.”

YMAC media release: Kariyarra celebrate ILUA

Hon. Rita Saffioti (Minister for Transport, Planning, Lands) and Hon. Ben Wyatt (Treasurer, Minister for Finance, Aboriginal Affairs) statement: Ministers’ Statement

Singing The Train

Posted: November 29th, 2016

Filed under: AIATSIS, Kariyarra, Ngarla, Njamal, Wangka Maya

For the next few months AIATSIS will exhibit Singing The Train. The exhibition tells through an Aboriginal song sung in Njamal language, of the first railway that ran between Port Hedland and Marble Bar in the Pilbara between1910 to 1951. The song was created by Aboriginal composer and stockman Larry Brown and passed to his daughter Topsy Fazeldean Brown who performed it in 1964 at Port Hedland.

Larry Brown composed Singing the Train using traditional Aboriginal song styles which expressed his feelings of this new addition of a train line to his Country. Singing The Train is a collaboration between Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre, Revolutions Transport Museum and AIATSIS. For more information on Singing The Train, you can visit the website here.

Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages now offered

Posted: April 29th, 2016

Filed under: Aboriginal languages, Banjima, Certificate III, Kariyarra, Nyiyaparli, Wangka Maya, Yinhawangka

A Certificate III in Aboriginal Languages is now being offered by South Hedland-based language centre Wangka Maya. The course is designed to help maintain the languages spoken by Traditional Owners across Australia.

The nationally accredited certificate is a week-long intensive course, and the first students represented seven different language groups from the Pilbara including Kariyarra, Yinhawangka, Banjima and Nyiyaparli.

The units aim to teach students about the history, vitality and distribution of Aboriginal languages. Courses include identifying language needs in the community and workplace, raising awareness about Aboriginal languages and producing sounds in Aboriginal languages.

For more information about the program, you can visit the Wangka Maya website here, and for specifics about the course you can visit the Resource Network for Linguistic Diversity.

600 year old Kariyarra ancestor buried at the Pioneer Cemetery

Posted: September 3rd, 2014

Filed under: Kariyarra, Port Hedland, The Department of Aboriginal Affairs

The Department of Aboriginal Affairs repatriation program will see thirteen sets of remains including those of a 600 year old Kariyarra ancestor buried at the Old Port Hedland Pioneer Cemetery.

The Old Pioneer was chosen as it will mean the ancestral remains will rest alongside other Kariyarra ancestors.

A ceremony will be held at the cemetery on 26th September.

YMAC News issue 15 is here

Posted: September 15th, 2011

Filed under: Banjima, Constitutional recognition, Dampier Salt, Department of Regional Development and Lands, Gnulli, Kariyarra, North West Iron Ore Alliance, Nyaparu Rose, YMAC News

YMAC is pleased to share the latest issue of YMAC News, which is now available It is filled with information about the great work being done by traditional owners and YMAC staff across the two YMAC regions.

Issue 15 of our newsletter highlights native title agreements for the Kariyarra and Gnulli people, a major step forward for the Bunjima people, some impressive achievements by YMAC staff and our organisation’s firm resolve on the issue of constitutional recognition for Australia’s original inhabitants.

We hope you enjoy the 15th issue of YMAC News.

Click here to download an electronic version  or email srosenfeld@ymac.org.au to request hard copies for yourself, your family, your business or workplace.

YMAC leads the way in agreement making

Posted: August 12th, 2011

Filed under: agreements, Gnulli, Kariyarra

This week has been a busy one for both regions of YMAC, with the Kariyarra and Gnulli native title groups signing agreements that secures both financial and cultural heritage benefits for the communities involved.

Congratulations to all parties involved in these agreements. YMAC looks forward to continuing to achieving great results for our clients and leading the way in agreement making in Australia.

Kariyarra agreement paves the way for development in Port Hedland

On Monday 8 August, the Kariyarra people and the WA State Government signed a native title agreement which will pave the way for much needed residential and commercial development of land in the Town of Port Hedland.

The Department of Regional Development and Lands (DRDL) has agreed to transfer a number of parcels of land to the Kariyarra people, in exchange for their consent to the release of land within the South Hedland townsite and port of Port Hedland. Under the agreement, a total of around 5,000 hectares of land will be transferred to the Kariyarra people. Key features of the agreement include the transfer of 10 hectares of freehold land in South Hedland suitable for residential development and land at 12 Mile for rural residential development. The Kariyarra people will also share in the profits from the sale of lots developed within the broader agreement area. The Kariyarra people will also gain management of several extensive reserves, which include important cultural sites.

Traditional Owners sign agreement to protect Indigenous heritage

On Thursday 11 August, Baiyungu Traditional Owners signed an agreement with Rio Tinto’s Dampier Salt to protect Indigenous heritage in WA’s Midwest. The signing ceremony between the Gnulli native title claim group and Rio Tinto took place at Dampier Salts Lake Macleod operation, some 100 kilometres north of Carnarvon.

The agreement signed between the two parties establishes guidelines on the protection of Indigenous culture, and importantly, the consultation of Traditional Owners on all heritage matters in the area. Lake Macleod is of special cultural significance to the Gnulli people, whose traditional country covers approximately 87,876 square kilometers of land and sea; including the towns of Carnarvon, Coral Bay and Exmouth. Lake Macleod is the westernmost lake in Australia and recognised as a wetland of national importance due to the abundance of birdlife and the fact that the lake is periodically inundated by freshwater.

Kariyarra Joint Venture Corporation in land development deal

Posted: July 28th, 2011

Filed under: Brendon Grylls, Department of Regional Development and Lands, Kariyarra, Kariyarra Mugarinya Joint Venture, Port Hedland

The Kariyarra Mugarinya Joint Venture, a corporation that is run by the Kariyarra native title claim group and Mugarinya Community Association, is today celebrating the commencement of a joint property venture with the Department of Regional Development and Lands.

The deal provides funds to develop 12ha of residential land in Port Hedland that was allotted to the Kariyarra Maugarinya Joint Venture in 2007.

YMAC assisted the Kariyarra people to set up the Joint Venture and receive the land allotment, and is very pleased that Kariyarra Mugarinya has now secured this deal that will help develop housing and security for the community into the future. This is a great outcome for the Kariyarra people and YMAC congratulates them for their work through the Joint Venture that has resulted in this development deal.

Regional Development and Lands Minister Brendan Grylls is hosting an event to celebrate the announcement of the joint property venture in South Hedland today.



Traditional Owners sign Rail Agreement with Hancock Prospecting

Posted: August 27th, 2010

Filed under: Hancock Prospecting, Kariyarra, Rail

Hancock Prospecting’s Tad Watroba with Kariyarra elders Lena Alone and Elsie Williams.

The Kariyarra native title group today announced a native title agreement with Hancock Prospecting. The agreement covers the company’s proposed heavy haulage railway corridor to carry iron ore from its Roy Hill Project to Port Hedland.

Funding for Woodstock Abydos Heritage Project

Posted: June 12th, 2010

Filed under: Garrett, Heritage, Kariyarra, Palyku, Woodsock Abydos

YMAC’s Teri O’Neill, and Stan Stylianou with Minister Garrett at the announcement.

Peter Garrett, Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts has announced that YMAC has been successful in securing $97,000 to progress the current Woodstock Abydos Heritage Project.
Woodstock/Abydos is located in the East Pilbara region in the traditional country of the Kariyarra and Palyku people. The area contains numerous sites of cultural and historical importance including mythological, ceremonial, artefacts, engravings and paintings.
The grant will be used to undertake a comprehensive survey of the Woodstock Abydos reserves, in conjunction with Traditional Owners and government agencies, to record previously undocumented archaeological sites.