Five million hectares around Uluru to be declared an Indigenous protected area

A special ceremony was held on Thrusday last week, with five million hectares of land around Uluru being declared as an Indigenous protected area. The new zoning will allow traditional owners to better preserve the area and surrounding sites of cultural significance.

The Anangu people will also receive Federal Government funding to help them protect sacred sites, native plants and animals around the Uluru-Kata Tjuta national park.

“We really want to teach the young ones how to look after the place properly and strongly … to get out there and see all the waterholes and important places,” said one traditional owner, Janie Miama.

How do you feel about this? Is this a positive step for recognition of Indigenous rights to their traditional lands? Are there other areas you feel could be declared as Indigenous protected areas?

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54 comments

LEON

Hope you dont mind this in here,but thought some may like to read this touching poem of how Aboriginals think of their land:

     BEFORE BED

Most nights before bed

I retreat outside

to savour the beauty

that soothes my mind.

 

Stars stain the sky

scattered all around

I peer into the darkness

observing every sound.

 

The call of an owl

the distant croak of a frog

the squeaking of a bandicoot

as it scurries past a log.

 

The symphony of insects

whose song fills the air

the whisper of a westerly

that flows through my hair.

 

A mother and her joey

briskly bound away

these sounds hold more meaning

than what words can ever say.

 

Moonshine protrudes

the sparse shifting cloud

a river of lilac

streams to the ground.

 

I bathe in this brilliance

a smile on my face

grateful to the spirits

for maintaining this place.

 

By Jonathan Hill,

Banjo, I think many of us can relate to that poem - thank you for posting it  :)

Thanks for that Gerry,certainly meant no harm,and really dont like people twisting my words.

Now I am going off to play with my new computer elsewhere.Have a good day mate.

Banjo

Your poem is great and very apt for a thread like this. Like Robi, I do hope Leon does not comply with your request to remove it.

If you have any more poems you would like to share, please feel free to place them in my "Around the Campfire" thread.

Cheers mate.

Banjo...poetry is never wasted on me...I love "Before Bed"...thank you!!

Banjo,

Those sort of thoughts are not confined to indigenous people.

Foolish to think they are, and divisive.

 

SD

I think you owe me an apology, I did not set out to offend anyone.

I did not say those thought are confined to anyone,just thought it very beautiful and sums up how Aboriginals think about their land.

Please do not call me foolish, I am not foolish. I do not see how a simple poem could be called "divisive" very sad when this whole debate on this thread can also be called divisive.

 

LEON: if this poem causes friction, it might be just as well to remove the poem.Thank you.

I cannot see anybody offended ???

Why should SD apologise ?

SD certainly did not call you foolish ... he made a general statement.

Banjo,

Many think about Australia this way, indigenous folk are as disparate in make up and thinking as are the rest of the population.

Nothing wrong with the verse but you can offend anybody who has a strong sense of country, black, white or brindle by implying that this thinking is somehow confined to indigenous people.

Take it easy.

SD

Banjo did not say this thinking is confined to Aboriginal people Shaggy. In my view anyone who would take offence would be an extremely fragile individual.

I agree Robi, I'm completely perplexed.

Banjo,

Your poem is beautiful, thank you. It does highlight the spiritual affinity Aboriginal people have with the land and is in no way divisive. The fact that non Aboriginal people may also feel highly attuned to nature is bye the way, you weren't offering a comparison. Ignore Shaggy's chastisement, it's hard to know where he is coming from and I for one would feel angry and amazed if Leon removed your poem.

Your comments are much  appreciated Robiconda, thank you.

Robi,

As I said, nothing wrong with the verse.

I thought Banjo said 'how aboriginals think about their land.'

It is just the fact many I know feel that way, and from a wide variety of backgrounds.

SD

So what???

Robi,

Yes. So what. Exactly.

SD

SD,

Why don't you just apologise to Banjo and be done with it. Blind Freddy can see you are just mincing words. You seem to relish negative connotations on many things I've noticed. Even Pete's R.M. Williams clothes had you going off on some sort of class thing.

Ray,

I apologise Banjo.

That was just Pete and me enjoying ourselves, I still have/wear some RMs clobber myself. I just hope Pete doesn't read that.

Take it easy.

SD

 

Shaggy I see your point and share it . You sneaky bugger got RMs clobber you will look fine in my gentlemans club in London ..

Pete,

It is a tradition when someone has a new pair of moleskins that you deliberately rub your boot or something equally dirty against them, makes them look used.  Also good for a strong reaction from the wearer, best done sneakily and from behind.

I do like RMs shirts in particular. Due for some more.

Take it easy.

SD

PS. I doubt I would be able to gain entry to any gentlemans club in London, or anywhere else for that matter.

Hi Banjo

My son is a Wiradjuri Man and very entrenched in his culture as are his children, his uncle is a CEO OF A Land Council, another uncle is a well know Aboriginal artist, several of his cousins played in the Nrl as did his father, his brother is an Aboriginal Cultural Surveyor - need I go on

My son has a mind of his own and as he did not write, nor has he seen my comments, I have no idea what you are talking about 

Hi Again Banjo

To answer your question do Aboriginals have to pay to up keep these places, the answer is no. The Federal Government leases this land from the Anangu people. Uluru was originally know as Ayres Rock (after the explorer) but was handed back to the Aboriginals and Uluru became the offical name of the Rock and was given to the Aboriginal people to run it as a business. However, this was unsuccessful. This is why the Federal government now leases the land back from the Anangu people and they have a 99 year lease. So, the Anangu people will be paid for 99 years and it is us, the taxpayers who now upkeep Uluru and Kata- Tjuta and was made into a National Park by the Federal Government.

This is why I resent having to pay to see Uluru and Kata- Tjuta  as my taxes are aleady paying for it.

Thanks for the explanation Lizzie

I agree as a Taxpayer one should not have to pay twice  ... hence a lot more than a visitor to the country ... it is a double tax on Australian citizens.

We pay taxes to maintain a lot of our icons, like the Sydney Harbour Bridge and then pay again to go up in the towers and walk over it. The tourist industry is probably the largest industry in the Northern Territory and a great money spinner for that territory and the nation. Perhaps they could make entry to the park free for Australians but why quibble? We all pay to enjoy lots of things elsewhere that our taxes pay for.

It's the principle I am concerned about. We certainly contributed to Tourism while at Uluru as we went on a helicopter ride and paid over $700 to do so. I am not complaining as we chose to do this and it was beautiful. 

There are other ways to contribute to tourism ( as we gladly did) and I have every right to quibble over paying $25 per person for a 3 day pass, no concessions and no children's price. I don't know how a family of 4 can afford to pay out an extra $100 after paying the costs to get there. 

A fairer contribution would be $25 per car on a sliding scale if you did not want a 3 day pass.

We also ate at restaurant there and bought a few souvenirs. I feel we more than adequately contributed to tourism in the Northern Terriorty

 

Hi Lizzie,

Thanks for your replies. The reason I asked what I did on pg.4 @ 11.46am is easier explained with an example.When I was growing up one of my best friends was a part Aborioginal boy,he was adopted by  a white family, lived in a white neighbourhood, mixed only with white people. He told me although he felt very loved,something inside of him said he had to go find his people and learn about them. He felt not knowing, was in a way denying their  existance.So he went off with the help of his white parents and acquainted himself with his culture.He returned a much much happier person and he is my friend to this day. Something you should know because of your knowledge of Aboriginal people, is that we may think we know them, we may think we know what is best for them,but we don't really because we haven't got their DNA. My friend said this and I have never forgotten it, he said, what's in your blood is in your blood.

Coming back to paying for entry to Uluru,what I would say is I have had to pay for entry to many National Parks, so why not Uluru? In the not too distant future  I understand there will be fees for all national parks. Concerning Uluru, I spoke to my friend today and he said this: The reason why visitors are charged for the use of the park is to help them maintain infrastructure and the environment. He also explained to me part of the park fee goes back to Anangu the traditional owners in order that they may maintain their families and the Mutitjulu community. Remember also, everything needed at the park has to be transported over huge distances and that costs money.

You say you have already paid for entry in your taxes,well if you look at how much the tax is responsible for, how many things it has to cover, I don't begrudge a park fee. My friend also told me, and I hope I got this right and that is if a person is Aboriginal,they may apply for an exemption, also children under 16 dont pay.

Cheers 

 

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