CLC site navigation search the CLC website links jobs at the CLC CLC home permits to visit CLC land media contact the CLC our culture our land about the CLC

Central Land Council

CLC Press Releases

18 December 2008
Senate see sense over waste dump ›› more
28 October 2008
Devils Marbles handed back to traditional owners ›› more
27 October 2008
Tanami Regional Partnership Agreement ›› more
27 October 2008
Warlpiri use royalties to build Yuendumu Pool ›› more
15 October 2008
Minister looks for distraction  ›› more
14 October 2008
CLC response to NTER review  ›› more
14 August 2008 2008
Communities have their say on intervention  ›› more
31 July 2008 2008
Fairfax news in bad taste  ›› more
24 July 2008 2008
election: accountability needed  ›› more
17 July 2008 2008
Royal commission needed into NT funding ›› more
11 July 2008 2008
Simpson Desert: the last land rights claim under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act  ›› more
8 July 2008 2008
Sacred site damage at Wilora  ›› more
30 May 2008
Seal the Mereenie Loop Road Now  ›› more
27 May 2008
Angela Pamela Negotiations  ›› more
9 May 2008
Angela Pamela and the native title process  ›› more
18 February 2008
Coalition should support permit system  ›› more
15 February 2008
Politicians threaten to derail fresh start  ›› more
22 January 2008
Police ignorance upsets Lajamanu community  ›› more
26 November 2007
Optimism for a fresh consensual approach on Aboriginal affairs  ›› more
21 November 2007
Concerns over Central Petroleum tactics  ›› more
 
>

The Land is Always Alive

Barunga

The Barunga Statement was presented to the Prime Minister of Australia, Bob Hawke, by the chairmen of the Central and Northern Land Councils, Wenten Rubuntja and Galarrwuy Yunupingu, on 12 June 1988, during the Barunga Sports and Cultural Festival. The Statement takes the form of a petition set amidst a series of paintings. T

he words of the petition call for the Australian Government to recognise the rights of Australia's indigenous people while the paintings tell stories of the land – a reminder of where the words come from. The design on the right was painted by Wenten Rubuntja, Lindsay Turner Jampijinpa and Dennis Williams Japanangka from Central Australia.

It tells part of the Two-Women Dreaming which links together all the major language groups of the Centre and calls on Aboriginal people to come together to celebrate their culture and their country. The three panels on the left were painted by artists from the NLC region and tell stories from the Crocodile Fire and Whale Dreamings which give their peoples title to the land and the sea