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Central Land Council

CLC Press Releases

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
 
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CLC mourns a true Tanami countryman

The Council and staff of the Central Land Council are shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden death late last week of long-serving CLC employee Kumunjayi Johnson Japanangka.

Kumunjayi Johnson, a Warlpiri man from Lajamanu 900 kilometres north west of Alice Springs, was also the President of the Lajamanu Community Council and an ATSIC Regional Councillor.

CLC Director David Ross paid tribute to Kumunjayi Johnson as a "countryman in the truest sense of the word". "For years, Kumunjayi Johnson travelled all over the Tanami and the knowledge he accumulated in that time was vast.

Few people would have travelled through that country as consistently and as often as he had. "He played a pivotal role in mineral exploration in the Tanami as a CLC field officer and he worked tirelessly to ensure that mining and development were done in a way which protected sacred sites and minimised the impact on Aboriginal people.

"He was an immensely strong man who provided leadership to his community and a vital interface between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal culture. " He was known for his fairness, his strength, his clear thinking and his good humour.

"The loss of this wonderful man and his knowledge will be acutely felt. "All of us at the CLC extend our deepest sympathy to his wife and family and to the community of Lajamanu," Mr Ross said.

NOTE: The Director will be unable to provide comment on this release today.