The traditional owners for the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelter destroyed by Rio Tinto are urging the West Australian government to follow through with enacting its new Aboriginal Heritage Act.
Key points:
Juukan Gorge traditional owners want the new Aboriginal Heritage Act to go ahead as plannedThe PKKP Aboriginal Corporation has its own reservations but is calling for unity among stakeholdersElsewhere in the Pilbara, a local council apologises after carrying out maintenance on an Aboriginal heritage site
Peak farming groups and some Aboriginal interest groups have been calling for a six-month delay to the law which takes effect on July 1.
But the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation, which represents Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura native title holders, says the new law is not perfect but gives greater scope for Aboriginal people to define and manage their heritage.
“We need to avoid the negativity and hysteria which stemmed from the native title movement in the 1990s and ensure the enactment of the new laws protect First Nations people’s country,” PKKP land and heritage director Jordan Ralph said.
Juukan Gorge before it was destroyed by Rio Tinto in a mining blast three years ago.(Supplied: PKKP)
There has been a great deal of uncertainty from landholders on their responsibilities, while others are concerned native title bodies meant to manage heritage under the law have not been given enough financial support.
PKKP said it did not want to see a delay despite its own reservations on aspects of the law’s implementation.
“The PKKP Aboriginal Corporation is not here to create more red tape or to be adversarial, but every day the people we represent feel the loss that happened at Juukan Gorge,” Dr Ralph said.
“We are here to protect the cultural interests of the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura native title holders and to ensure their important places are protected and able to be passed on to the next generation.”
PKKP Aboriginal Corporation director of land and heritage management Jordan Ralph.(Supplied: PKKP)
Dr Ralph said the corporation was worried the state government would pocket more fees than Aboriginal knowledge holders doing heritage work under the new Act.
He also said PKKP was concerned the need under the Act to maintain Aboriginal cultural heritage management plans would have an unintended effect where pastoralists avoiding the costs of a plan might say their activities have less impact than they did.
Dr Ralph said the solution was for stakeholders to form strong relationships with traditional owner groups so expectations and obligations were clear.
“This is what the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation is doing by negotiating co-management of mining agreements with resources companies and Indigenous land use agreements with pastoralists, where we can work together to achieve shared goals and protect and manage country.”
Council admits work at heritage site
Kariyarra alleges a lawn mower cut over grass and rocks at the site, home to ancient footprints.(Supplied: Kariyarra Aboriginal Corporation)
Meanwhile, a council in the Pilbara has vowed to educate staff about their responsibilities under state heritage legislation after it admitted to carrying out maintenance works within an Aboriginal heritage site.
The Kariyarra Aboriginal Corporation alleges fossilised footprints were damaged by a Town of Port Hedland lawn mower earlier this month.
The town said in a statement it apologised for the error and any offence caused but that it was not aware of any damage to artefacts on the site.
It said it was working with Kariyarra to better identify and protect the “disturbed site”.
The council said it was also taking steps to ensure all staff were aware of their responsibilities.
“This includes the introduction of due diligence checklists, risk assessments and education sessions,” the statement said.
The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage is also investigating the incident.
It’s alleged a Water Corporation contractor dumped spoil sand on part of the ridge.(Supplied: Kariyarra Aboriginal Corporation)
Kariyarra Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Nick Green said the council’s admission and apology over the incident was a “positive step in the right direction”.
He said ensuring council staff were aware of their responsibilities under heritage laws was important for building positive relationships between government agencies and Aboriginal corporations.
“The buck doesn’t just stop with one person, it can flow through the entire organisation, so making sure your people that you value are aware and understand the need to comply with the law and to comply, in this case with the cultural requirements of Kariyarra people, is very important.”
The heritage site is called 2 Mile Ridge in Port Hedland.(Supplied: Kariyarra Aboriginal Corporation)
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