24/4/06



PORT WAKEFIELD MARINA DEVELOPMENT
For 40,000 years Port Wakefield was a significant Aboriginal trading area and archaeological evidence of this is very clear today. Stone tools, artifacts, woman, food, boomerangs, spears and Dreaming stories that connect tribes to each other were all traded there. Initiations also occurred in this area. Port Wakefield is located on the border of 2 clan groups - the Adjahdura people of Yorke Peninsula and Kaurna people of Adelaide. These groups also lived in the area. And we know from past experiences that there are ancient burial sites in the area.

The desecration and destruction of Aboriginal heritage and cultural sites have been devastating for the traditional owners of this land. We want to protect what’s left of our significant cultural sites for future generations. In this state, if development along coastal areas continues at this rate, it wont only be a disaster for Aboriginal culture but also an ecological disaster that future generations wont be able to fix. If control measures aren’t put in place now, this decade will go down in history as the decade when the last remaining cultural sites of our ancient people were destroyed - and in the future, people will look back at this time and our generation and say we were to blame for what happened here.

I know what the Aboriginal women involved in the Hindmarsh Island Bridge development went through because I experienced the same thing myself with the Wattle Point Wind Farm development. As a traditional owner with cultural knowledge, the Wattle Point Wind Farm development was an ordeal:

If any development goes ahead, it’s important that the cultural integrity of the area be protected. I warned people involved in the Wattle Point Wind Farm development that people would get sick and they did. And I’m telling people again - the Dreaming is strong in this area - if the Dreaming sites are disturbed or desecrated, people will get bad sicknesses. Protocols and procedures must be put in place before any development goes ahead. And as for cross-cultural education, I’m in favor of that – the more people that know about the area and how significant it is to Traditional owners, the better, as long as development does not desecrate and destroy the cultural heritage of the area.

This govnt must change its attitude towards Aboriginal culture. From recent experiences, it doesn’t matter how significant an area is for Aboriginal people, the - Aboriginal Affairs Minister, who has the final say, has used the Aboriginal Heritage Act against us and given the go ahead for development to disturb and desecrate our ancient heritage and cultural sites.

THE NARUNGGA ILUA
There are very complex cultural issues on Adjahdura land (Yorke Peninsula). The Narungga Heritage Committee (formed by Traditional Owners with cultural knowledge of our country) has been dealing with all heritage issues on Adjahdura Land. Local and state governments and NNAC (Narungga Nations Aboriginal Corporation - formed to handle Native Title Issues) have done a deal and signed an ILUA (Indigenous Land Use Agreement) without proper consultation with the Narungga Heritage Committee. The signing of the Narungga Local Government ILUA by these parties effectively pushed the Narungga Heritage Committee aside - it extinguishes all Native Title Rights to our land - and opens the flood gates to develop sensitive areas of our country - all in the hands of people who have little or no cultural knowledge of our country - Just what the govnt wants.

ADJAHDURA LAND TRADITIONAL OWNERS GROUP
We have formed the Adjahdura Land Traditional Owners Group to fight for the rights of all Traditional owners with cultural knowledge of our country and to try and preserve and protect our last remaining cultural sites. My mother, Irene Agius (oldest Adjahdura Traditional elder living on the Aboriginal community of Point Pearce) was on the Narungga ILUA Local Govnt negotiating committee but she was being used like a pawn and not respected. As spokesperson for the Adjahdura Land Traditional Owners Group, we do not recognize the Narungga local govnt ILUA - NNAC (Narungga Nations Aboriginal Corporation) do not speak for us - and we expect all parties involved in land developments on our country, black and white, to consult with us (Adjahdura Land Traditional Owners Group) and the Narungga Heritage Committee.

There are 3 different groups in all Aboriginal traditional areas in Australia - traditional owners with cultural knowledge of country - traditional owners with little cultural knowledge - and non-traditional owners, who’s families were herded like cattle from their traditional lands.

White fellas have little knowledge of what happened to black fellas in the past when Europeans settled on this land. For a long time only the Captain Cook story was told at schools. Stolen generation stories are coming out now but they are only part of a bigger story. Before individuals were taken from their families there was a mass movement of clan groups - whole groups were removed from their traditional lands (country) by governments and relocated to Aboriginal missions in other areas. These families lost their connection to their traditional lands (country) and today their descendants (Non-Traditional owners) have little or no knowledge of their Dreaming stories and cultural sites. Whole Aboriginal groups were taken away from their country and then individuals were taken away from their families - and we are suffering the consequences of those policies today.

RESPECTING CULTURAL SITES
Respecting cultural sites, Dreaming stories and burial grounds - and also cultural knowledge that traditional owners posses, is easy to do - it starts with govnts doing the right thing. If govnts don’t understand and respect us what hope have we. Non-traditional owners in positions of power in our country also should pull their masks off and be truthful and not bullshit govnt and themselves.

GOVERNMENTS CONTINUE MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES
Traditional Elders of Adjahdura Land (Yorke Peninsula), who have cultural knowledge of our country, have been ignored and not respected by NNAC (Narungga Nations Aboriginal Corporation) and local and state govnts. Govnt ministers in positions that affect Aboriginal people need to do cross-cultural awareness training and education with all the different clan groups in this state. We will be asking the new minister Jay Weatherill to walk the country with us.

Govnts keep on making a mockery of traditional owners with cultural knowledge and they continue making the same mistakes, over and over again. There are many examples of govnts not learning anything from the mistakes that were made in the past. Govnts can’t keep on saying that they didn’t know - because by now they should know - and if they don’t know - they don’t want to know - because it suits them. There are thousands of significant cultural sites still waiting to be registered in this state - most have been waiting for over 10 years to be registered.

White fellas expect us to live under white fella law. And under white fella law, this govnt, through the Dept of Aboriginal Affairs (DAARE), is responsible to preserve and protect Aboriginal heritage and cultural sites. We spoke to the Dept 3 years ago about putting Aboriginal heritage protocols and procedures in place in this state - we are still waiting for this to happen. This state govnt, like many before it, have failed the Aboriginal people of this state. They should be ashamed.

Yours in unity
 
Quenten Agius
Adjahdura (Yorke Peninsula) Traditional Owner
Spokesperson for the Adjahdura Land Traditional Owners Group
Chairperson of the Narungga Heritage Committee
Maitland Rd, Point Pearce     Mobile: 0429367121
Web site: http://www.adjahdura.com.au
Email: info@adjahdura.com.au