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|
| January |
During
the election campaign the Liberal-Country Party promised 'no change'
on land rights policy under a Fraser Government, but now they propose
major amendments including the virtual abolition of the land councils.
The CLC joins with other Aboriginal organisations to fight back and
counter the pressure of the anti-land rights lobby. |
| March
18 |
A
thousand Aboriginal people march in Alice Springs for land rights
and the Land Councils. The march knocks the wind out of Northern Territory
administration claims that the Aboriginal people don't support land
rights. People travel hundreds of miles from Daguragu in the north-west
and Ernabella in South Australia in a stunning demonstration of Aboriginal
support. It is a turning point that makes non-Aboriginal people realise
that the land rights issue is here to stay. Following the march, an
Aboriginal deputation led by Wenten Rubuntja campaigns for land rights
across the country, culminating in a meeting with Prime Minister Fraser
in Canberra. Mr Rubuntja carries a tjuringa (sacred object) to the
meeting as a symbol of authority. |
| June |
The
Fraser Government introduces the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern
Territory) Bill into Parliament. The new Bill weakens the Land Councils,
prevents claims over Aboriginal-owned pastoral leases and gives
the Northern Territory Government responsibility for passing legislation
for the protection of sacred sites and land claims based on need.
The CLC strenuously objects to several sections of the Bill and
negotiations continue through the rest of the year. Meanwhile, mining
companies approach CLC seeking to work on areas which are likely
to become Aboriginal land. The CLC gathers expert advice and details
of proposals for traditional landowners to consider fully. A few
days after the Bill is introduced Wenten Rubuntja is elected CLC
Chairman at a council meeting at Amoonguna, east of Alice Springs.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ian Viner attends the meeting and promises
the Commonwealth will overrule any Northern Territory law which
doesn't truly protect sacred sites.
When
my father was alive - he's been finish up along Amoonguna with all
them old fellas - they use to say 'We got to get our land back sometime,
because our land got Law.' Well that been come up news come about
land rights and they said 'Yeah, we gotta get land rights now.'
They come to a protest 'Land rights Now. Land rights Now.' That's
all the way along. Centre people didn't have nothing then. Arrernte
people just lived anywhere: town, tents, humpies and all mixed up
only.
We
been thinking that land rights is a good thing. Good thing for work
and good thing for live. I like to talk about that one, because
this government came over and asking questions of Aboriginal people
about what we want. Well we got to ask them for land, if they going
to give us land back, or you know, that we got to do. And how we
going to work the country back. That's what we were thinking about
inside.
If
Europeans want to get land, they say how much? How many acres can
you buy? We've got to go back and ask our Aboriginal Law. Grandmother's
and Grandfather's country - that's the country we've got to get.
We gotta find out from our culture country and you got to find out
from your law. See? That's the Land Rights Act: your law and my
law is standing as one. Two different, different laws standing as
one.
Wenten Rubuntja, CLC Chairman
|
| August |
The
Finke River Mission joins the land rights debate. Pastor Paul Albrecht
and Professor Ted Strehlow campaign against land rights and the
Land Councils, and the Mission holds a series of bush meetings telling
Aboriginal people that the CLC wants to control Aboriginal land
and have power over who profits from mining royalties.
They
tell non-Aboriginal people that land rights and land councils are
inconsistent with 'the Aboriginal reality' and launch a vicious
and personal attack on CLC Chairman Wenten Rubuntja. The campaign
is finally discredited at a large meeting of Aboriginal people convened
by the Mission in November. Geoff Eames speaks to the meeting and
dispels misunderstandings about the role of the CLC.
Pastor
Albrecht loses support when he refuses to read the text of his own
public statements to the gathering. Many Aboriginal people who had
doubts about the CLC now become active members. In retrospect, the
debate with Finke River Mission was of great importance for the
survival of the CLC.
It
taught the staff lessons about the need to maintain our grass roots
contacts. It generated a debate on the legislation which certainly
produced a real awareness of the terms of the legislation and provided
a model for future processes of consultation. Geoff Eames, CLC Lawyer
1975-78 ] The Aboriginal Land Fund receives no funding in the Commonwealth
budget.
|
| December |
The
Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 is passed.
The Act has been amended but is still significantly weaker than
Woodward's recommendation and the Whitlam Bill. Under the Act, land
which had been designated as Aboriginal reserve is converted to
Aboriginal land without having to be claimed (so-called Schedule
I land).
In
the CLC region these areas are Amoonguna, Finke River Mission (Hermannsburg),
Haasts Bluff, Jay Creek, Hooker Creek (Lajamanu), Lake Mackay, Petermann,
Santa Teresa, Warrabri (Alekarenge) and Yuendumu.
Land
Rights to me is a very good thing, one of the good things that I
have seen. They shouldn't muck about too much, but they should give
that land straight back. To the people who hold on in the Northern
Territory, they should give tribal land and sacred sites back straight
away instead of holding on to it. A place like Suplejack, we are
waiting for, it is 'frozen' in Aboriginal and European law. Suplejack
is one of the most sacred sites to our Warlpiri people and it seems
right for us to get it back; but we don't say, 'Get out!' to those
staying there; we say, 'Don't touch it; leave it alone'. The
late Maurice Jupurrula Luther MBE, Lajamanu 1976
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