INDIGENOUS VIEWS ON MINING AND WORLD HERITAGE ON CAPE YORK PENINSULA FNQ

There’s a diversity of views among indigenous communities in Cape York Peninsula on the Australian Government’s recent push for World Heritage listing, and on the prospect of new or expanded mining in the region.

The Federal Government has run a long consultation process to muster indigenous support for a World Heritage listing – but the prospect of an election in the next few months has probably stalled the process, at least for now.

At the same time, both the Federal and Queensland Governments have given the nod to new or expanded mining activity in the region. The long-established bauxite mining around Weipa, on the western Cape, will expand, and several companies are bidding for the right to extract bauxite around the indigenous community of Aurukun, south of Weipa.

And the Queensland Government has called for tenders to prospect for petroleum and gas in what it calls “greenfield areas” – including on native title land at Pascoe River http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2013/5/28/new-land-release-a-boost-to-exploration-opportunities

And earlier this year, a company linked to Gina Rinehart applied for exploration permits near Laura, in country rich with ancient indigenous rock art. The company withdrew its application a few days later, saying it had not known about the rock art.

At Aurukun, Mayor Derek Walpo welcomes mining as the key to a prosperous future for his community – elsewhere on the Cape, communities are saying no to mining.

LISTEN Click on the red arrow to hear indigenous leaders talk about mining and world heritage on Cape York Peninsula

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We heard Derek Walpo – the mayor of Aurukun Shire Council: David Claudie – chairman Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation, and Thomas George, a traditional owner from Laura

 

CHECK OUT OUR CAPE YORK PENINSULA PICTURE GALLERY – THEN COME VISIT US HERE IN FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND!

We did our annual Cape York Peninsula road trip early this year, in June instead of October. It was early in the dry season, the roads were in great shape and we travelled to Lakeland, Laura, Lama Lama National Park, Coen, Wenlock River, Aurukun and Cooktown. All our interviews are up on this blog – and here’s an assortment of pictures from this wonderful part of the world.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Pictures by ABC Open’s Suzie Cray, ABC Far North legend Phil Staley, Lyndal Scobell from Cape York NRM, and me.

 

AN INDIGENOUS FUTURE MADE OF ANCIENT AND NEW – MEET DAVID CLAUDIE AT CHUULANGUN FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND

All over indigenous Australia, there are people who have returned to live on their traditional country, rather than in towns or communities to which they have no real cultural connection. And there are others working towards that goal. In the 1970s, the idea of going back to live on country began to be called the homelands movement – and one of its pioneers in far north Queensland is David Claudie.

David is chairman of the Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation, formed in 2002 by the descendants of a Kuuku I’yu Northern Kaanju ancestor.

The Northern Kaanju people began their struggle for recognition as custodians of their Cape York country in the 1970s. In the 80s they began re-occupying their land on sand-ridge country between the Wenlock and Pascoe rivers, many hours drive from the nearest small towns.

These days David Claudie and about 25 others live on country – in a remote, modest, effective and environmentally sustainable community at Chuulangun. There’s an entrepreneurial flavour to the many projects running there – including a carbon abatement strategy, employment and training programs, and an indigenous medicine project.

David Claudie challenges many of the commonly held notions about indigenous people. He doesn’t much care for the  oft-used term “traditional owner”  – he says you won’t understand indigenous people from anthropology texts or the Native Title Act.

LISTEN Click on the red arrow to hear my interview with David Claudie

Read more about Chuulangun at http://www.kaanjungaachi.com.au/ChuulangunAboriginalCorporation.htm

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Pictures by ABC Open reporter Suze Cray, ABC Far North’s Phil Staley, Lyndal Scobell from Cape York NRM, and me.