STATEMENT BY SENIOR TRADITIONAL OWNERS AND CUSTODIANS RE THE BOYWEG-ALMUDJ
SACRED SITE COMPLEX
At meetings held on April 7, 12, and 13, all the traditional Owners and
Custodians of the jabiluka area agreed to the following statements with
regard to the Boyweg-Almudj Sacred Site Complex:
1)The Boyweg-Almudj Sacred Site Complex (which includes the Boyweg- Almudj
site, the Boyweg- Bagaloi site, the dreaming track between these two sites,
and other sites of significance) is a sacred and dangerous area which
should not be disturbed on the surface or underground.
2)The sacred sites within and associated with the Boyweg-Almudj sacred site
complex have existed for untold generations and their integrity is
essential to the survival of Aboriginal culture in present and future
generations.
3)The access tunnel being constructed for the proposed Jabiluka uranium
mine is now in the immediate vicinity of the Boyweg-Almudj Sacred Site
Complex, and must stop immediately in order to avoid desecration of sacred
sites, with catastrophic consequences for local Aboriginal people.
4)Assertions made by the Northern Land Council in the 1982 mining agreement
that there are no sacred sites in the area of the Jabiluka mine site are
not correct.
5)Such assertions were made by the Northern Land Council without consulting
with senior key custodians for the Jabiluka area.
6)In particular, the JUNGAI, or Primary Custodian, for the Jabiluka area
has informed the Northern Land Council mining companies, and other
officials on many occasions that the sacred sites within the Boyweg-Almudj
sacred site complex should not be disturbed.
7)That the Senior Traditional Owner, who 'consented' to the 1982 agreement
did so under duress and later informed senior custodians that the area
should not be disturbed because of dangers associated with sacred sites.
8)There are a number of burial sites in the area of the Jabiluka mine site,
which remain unknown to non - aboriginal people.
9)The Senior Custodians and traditional Owners who have attended and/or
been identified at the meetings of Apr 7,12, and 13th are the only
Aboriginal people who are permitted under Aboriginal law to speak about
sacred sites on the Jabiluka land, and have spoken with one voice about the
need to protect the Boyweg-Almudj sacred site complex.
10)The senior Traditional owners and custodians for the Jabiluka land call
on local Aboriginal organisations, the Northern Land Council, the
Australian Government and all other concerned citizens and organisations to
support our urgent demand to protect sacred sites within and associated
with the Boyweg-Almudj sacred site complex.
SOME BACKGROUND
1)The Boyweg- Almudj sacred site complex is on the Mirrar peoples land in
the Kakadu region. Aspects of the site complex are in the immediate
vicinity of the proposed Jabiluka uranium mine operations. The site exists
both on the surface and below ground.
2)The site complex has been recognised by Aboriginal people since time
immemorial. it was first identified by non- aboriginals in 1976-78 during
nomination for national estate listing. It was identified again during the
land claim process of 1979-80. It was identified by UNESCO as integral to
the World Heritage values of Kakadu in 1998.
3)The mining company knew of the site complex in 1982, and threatened to
scuttle the Traditional Owners land claim if it was recognised.
The current company recognised the site in 1998 in a deed poll, but agreed
only to minimise surface damage. Jabiluka is an underground mine.
4)The mining company and the government assured the traditional Owners that
a sacred site study would be completed before the start of construction.
This study has not even started, and construction has been going on for
nine months. Numerous pleas by the traditional Owners to the Minister for
Environment and Heritage have been ignored.
5)The mine tunnel is due to reach the boundary of the site in early May 1999.
If the sacred sites in the complex are desecrated by the tunnel, local
Aboriginals believe that catastrophe, illness, and death will result.
The UNESCO World heritage Committee last December, voted 20-1 for mining to
stop. The government has ignored this.
The Mirrar are considering a range of legal and statutory protection
mechanisms to prevent the destruction of their sacred sites.
--
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