Indigenous community wins native title of Broome

Must be worth being cross examined a couple of times to get 6000 square klm though - even if you did own it in the first place .

Hey! that's fantastic news, congradulations to the Broome residents. I'll soon be able to head up there and visit some old friends
andy

oh joy..

They can have broome, its just one big rubbish tip anyway, looks like Broome's future is all roses now.....NOT!!

there goes another spot that wont be worth visiting

I do have an opinion on native title and rules that should be implemented if you win a claim also who can make a clam but I will keep those to my-self.

I don’t disagree with it nor do I agree that you can make a claim on any part of Australia.

I especially don’t agree that you can be awarded 6000Squar k’s of land incorporating Town’s and faming properties get with the program I say.

Good to hear Willen (sorry Spinifex)

Have a good day

Richard

I think its all a load of crock...These people lived here for many years before us but they have no claim on anything...by there very discription..nomadic..dictionary explananation..NO HOME..if you have no home how can you claim title???...if I dont pay my rates..well we all no what happens yet my fathers walk on the land I live on before me...does'nt mean jack to anyone esle but me!!!!!seems to me the only mistake the Brits did was not use paramount force...or did they???in which case as I understand it wipes out all claim to anything...This country would not have things like Opera house,Harbour Bridge..etc if it was'nt for the anglo saxon input to this country...this is just a piont of veiw..nothing to do with racism..as I treat all folk the same..why should we pander to people who by there very discritpion in the dictionary is NOMADIC..means NO HOME...no home..NO CLAIM..get a job and buy your land!!!
JD

"The Rubibi claim dates back 10 years and covers more than 6,000 square kilometres of mainly reserves and pastoral leases."

Anyway, I don't think it is anything to get too hung up on - Pastoral Leases have always been that - leases.

Anyways, as a Lada owner you might like some shiny wheels - eBay item 8037840945

Ciao for now
Andrew.

Australian aboriginal people were never nomadic. They moved across their traditional land area to utilise water, food etc on a seasonal basis. The indigenous plants/fauna weren't suitable for domestication. "Nomadic"was a convenient legal category so that settlers could declare the land "terra nullius", which legally meant the inhabitants had no right to the land and conveniently enabled Australian settlers to avoid 'treaties, defining indigenous rights etc. The "landrights" legislation enables the situation to be addressed.

I am a Broome resident and live on one of the most significant areas of land (in Aboriginal terms) in the Kimberley. We have Aboriginal communities living on either side of us.

As with most Broome - residents we totally support this Native Title Claim and congratulate the Yawuru people.

Amongst Yuwaru plans is to have the entire coastline (from Crab Creek) to way up north declared a National Park.

It is not well know that the local Aboriginal people have had a contract to maintain the coastline for many years - and recently won the Premier's Award for doing so.

No pastoral land up here is 'owned'. It is all on 99-year leases.

'Civilization' is not an absolute. Ours tends to be measured in monetary terms. Aboriginal people do not do this. This does not make them better or worse - just different.

To most of Australia's non-indigenous people a Toyota Landcruiser is something valued for what it is - not what it is for.

To most Aboriginal people it is one of many alternative ways of visiting Uncle Fred.

Can anyone really say which view is the healthier?

Curiously, one usually finds that people with strong anti-Aboriginal views have never met or personally know any.

Consider this.

At the graduation ceremony at Broome's Notre Dame Uni last year - of the 80 or so graduates, over two-thirds were local Aboriginal women who had finished their BA and, in a few cases, their MA degrees. It's odds on that at most times there are more local Aboriginal people with degrees shopping in the local Coles than tourists with degrees.

Also this: I studied Aboriginal languages at Notre Dame Uni: and many people express surprise that I know some Yawuru and Bardi. Yet most Aboriginal people I know speak three or four often non-connected languages (plus English and often also Kriol). Many of these languages have grammatical structures as complex as Latin. I'm the ignorant one.

I am saddened to see 'I'm not a racist but . . .' comments on this Forum.
Collyn Rivers

Generally I'm a little slow on the pick up on these things. I've been following this phenomena since Mabo and consider myself to have a reasonable understanding of the issues involved. My difficulty is in understanding what has really been achieved and for what purpose. There is a whole lot of legal considerations in the determination of Native Tile and their application, such as burden of proof on connection etc and the rights of other interests. From this point of view it can be seen as a significant legal statement for the people involved. However, it has not and will not change their way of life or where they live so it may also be regarded as just a moral victory in the face of so many historical wrongs.

My concern is this, if it is for things to continue on as before then we can argue that it was a great moral victory - but if things are going to change then the purpose can be seen for something much more than that. My suspicion is that our way of life (travelling to remote areas) is under threat. There is reasonable evidence to support this concern but I hope to be proven wrong over time.

Health permitting, I have a good 20 years of remote travel left in me and feel that within this time access to remote parts of Australia will change in such a way that I will not be able to see places that were once accessible. My kids and grandkids will have to do with a tour or some of my old photos.

Kind regards

Spinifex submit's post.

Winds everyone up

sit's back having a great laugh

It's payback time Well done mate!!
(not being sarcastic, just putting myself in your shoes) lol

Whilst I agree with Colin and support the decision considering that it will not harm Broome the township.
I do have reservations about the coast becoming a national park as the people who actualy make decisions on these parks are in major cities and do not really have a sense of what the area is all about.
I have seen many blunders from the likes of C.A.L.M. and N.P.& W. L services.
These people are under staffed under funded with more given to them without the recources to manage these areas.

Like someone else has said often to disagree with a policy can have bad remifications such as the racism slur.

Just My thoughts on the subject.

Snowy
You are correct in stating that many Native Title Claims are in areas perceived as 'rich'. You may however be attributing wrong motives and, with respect it is not always true.

The starting point is that Aboriginal people have a spiritual connection with 'country' that totally transcends any Western parallel. It is almost literally a mother. To be removed from this, or denied access is a huge deprival. A second point is that Aboriginal people have no concept of 'ownership' of land. They are custodians of land (country).

Coming to your main point: and using Victoria as an excellent example, the Aborigonal people there tended the land very carefully. In so doing, and unbeknown to them, they ironically created what in effect was perfect land for sheep farming. This was recognised by early pastoralists who repaid them by 'dispersing' them.

By and large this happened all over Australia. Land that had been carefully tended was seized.

Why had it been carefully tended?

Well, contrary to general belief Aboriginals are not nomadic. Rather they live/lived in extended family groups within the confines of tribally recognised boundaries (often quite small) but from time to time moved to various parts of that area to enable the country to 'recover' (particularly seasonally).

By and large land that very same land that Aboriginal family had cared for was the very same land that the pastoralists sought. And of course took.

As Native Title is predicated on a provable link with the country concerned it must almost by definition be land that was and still is 'rich.'

The reason that this is so little understood is that Aboriginal history is virtually unknown to all but a small number of historians - and people like my wife and I who study it. Fortunately we live in Broome - and Broome is one of the very few places on earth that has a university that teaches it.

The local Aboriginal people approached Notre Dame (in Fremantle) about ten years ago to open a Broome Campus. There to the local people's and the uni's credit, Aboriginal Studies is a compulsory core subject for anyone studying there for a degree (any degree).

It is also available as a full degree subject at both BA and MA level - and I am most way through auditing the entirety of this course.

Your view on Native Title (and similar matters) is not uncommon - but with every respect - it is founded on lack of knowledge that causes people to make what may be incorrect assumptions.

This is not intended in any way as a put-down. The subject is not touched on by any except a tiny handful of schools - so few know what actually happened.

Trust this may help clear up a few misconceptions
Collyn Rivers

OK, so the indigenous community has been granted native title to another 6000 sq km. What's the problem?

It's not as if they've been granted title to the whole damn continent. Someone more knowledgeable may care to enlighten us on what percentage of our land mass is actually currently under native title, not claimed, but actually approved. We may face some restrictions, we may not. It's a very small price to pay.

It's pointless whinging about it after the event.

Broome has felt the damaging effects of native title claims for a number of years.

Housing and rental prices are ridiculous, as the surrounding areas are subject to native title which delays/restricts expansion.

So dont tell me it does not disadvantage Broome.

check out www.broomerealestate.com.au
$300 - 500 per week to rent a house, lovely.

Rev

While out visiting a friend a few years ago(an Arente traditional owner) explained to my kids that the block of land they were playing on was thiers as much as anybodies. Acording to aboriginal law anybody born North of the gap and between Emily and Fens gap were classed as a Yeperenye kid ( this includes Alice Springs hospital). There is nothing in aboriginal law about colour!!!!!

Stano
I believe a great deal of the 'problem' is that Aboriginal history has never been taught in Australian schools. Hardly anyone from politicians sideways know anything factual about the history, the Law and the Culture. Almost everything that Australians believe is based on hearsay, misunderstanding, and sometimes just plain bigotry. They cannot be blaimed for the former two.

My wife and I are extremely fortunate to live in Broome as it has the the only uni campus in Australia where Aboriginal studies is a core subject for any degree here (including for the predominantly indigenous student body). For the past four years I have audited that syllabus. My wife has a High Distinction in the subject, backed up by a couple of associated degrees, and will be shortly be working on a higher post-graduate (research) degree in this area.

The experience, plus living very close to Aboriginal communities (we have Yawuru communities on either side of us) has changed my thinking. In a nutshell I do not now believe that any group of people of any background would have survived what happened in substantially any other way.

That there are problems are obvious. But to see Australians blame the victims for the results of others' two-century mendacity, and often murderous actions, is sad.

I need to say to any Aboriginal members of this forum that I do not presume to speak on Aboriginal behalf nor give any but my own thoughts on what happened. I'm simply a guadia presenting his own view based on Kimberley living and experience (mainly with Gularabulu and Worara people).
Collyn Rivers