Mount Warning: Aboriginal claims about summit climb are contested Part 4: forced assimilation

Further evidence that there is substantial disagreement between Aboriginal groups in the area in relation to Mt Warning:

Extract from: Unsettling Anthropology: The Demands of Native Title on Worn Concepts and Changing Lives/ edited by Toni Bauman and Gaynor MacDonald. ISBN: 9780987135339 (pbk.)

P29-30

Another example is disagreement concerning use of the collective regional label ‘Bundjalung’ in north coastal New South Wales. Harry Boyd, who identifies as a Ngarakwal/Githabul elder, has argued in letters to the Federal Minister for the Environment and to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples James Anaya that the ‘False Bundjalung Nation’ ‘eliminated’ the distinct peoples of the region (Boyd 2009). He suggests that the term ‘Bundjalung’ was ‘created from’ linguistic texts and the work of local historians. With recognition of the Bundjalung people in heritage studies and by local councils, he argues: ‘We (Ngarakwal / Githabul) and the other distinct peoples of the Northern New South Wales, South East Queensland region are being subject to forced assimilation as Bundjalung’ (Boyd 2009).

Disputes over the Bundjalung label, and difficulties in choosing acceptable alternatives, have held up the erection of local council signage and other proposals for recognising Aboriginal people in the Tweed Heads area in particular (Caton 2009; Sapwell 2009).

Another dispute in this region concerns use of the name ‘Arakwal’, a term associated with native title claims and several agreements in the Byron Bay area, including one resulting in the creation of the Arakwal National Park in 2001. In the wake of these agreements the name ‘Arakwal’ has become more or less fixed, in both popular and official use for the area. The valid usage of ‘Arakwal’ has, however, been a point of contention. Members of the Boyd family objected to ‘Arakwal’ as a ‘misuse’ of the name ‘Ngaragbal’ (or Ngarak(g)wal), which they associate with their own family (Byron Shire Echo 2003, 6). The  Arakwal native title claim was also at times partially overlapped by the Ngyabul People claim and the Gnargbaul Clan claim (Neate 2002, 136), and there have been several other differently identifying indigenous respondents involved (see also discussion in Hansard, Joint Committee 2003 at Byron Bay; and Stewart2008, 365). One objection to the Byron Bay claim received publicity in 2007 (Lyons 2007, 5). It was reported that ‘the challengers claim that they are the real Arakwal’. The Byron Bay claimants, a spokesperson said, were ‘attempting a corporate takeover of the Arakwal name’ (Lyons 2007, 5). Although the Byron Bay claim group had by then adopted the relatively neutral term, ‘Bundjalung People of Byron Bay’ (Bundjalung of Byron Bay 2009, 16), the name Arakwal was and is still in use and remains contentious. Also, as noted above, ‘Bundjalung’ is not universally accepted as a regional collective label.

The reference to Boyd 2009 is a now archived website. This contains copies of letters and submissions from Ngarakwal/Githabul elder Harry Boyd to:

• Tweed Shire Council
• Then Federal Minister of environment Petr Garrett, and
• Letter to United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples James Anaya

It makes for interesting reading!

Some direct quotes:

From Submission to Tweed Shire Council

7. Council Statement supports false Native Title claims

In the Daily News Thursday, December 30 1999 the representative of the Bundjalung Elders Council Corporation, John Roberts stated: “At a meeting of Native Title claimants in mid-1998 with lawyers and  anthropologists, we realised Mt Warning was out on its own as the Wollumbin tribe was massacred back in the 1860s,” Mr Roberts said.  “Under Bundjalung traditional lore, those tribes closest to the Wollumbin land have to take responsibility for it”.

In the Daily News, Wednesday January 5 2000, the representative of the Bundjalung Elders Council Corporation, John Roberts stated, “because the traditional owners of Wollumbin had been massacred it was agreed in 1996 during native title discussions that three tribes were entitled to ownership and had responsibility for the care of Mount Warning”.

“Bundjalung Council of Elders chairman Roy Gordon of Tweed Heads confirmed yesterday that Aboriginal elders had given John Roberts authority to act on the Wollumbin (Mt Warning) climbers issue”.

Official government census information proves the Wollumbin Tribe were NOT massacred.

9. False TSC History books that exclude Elder Information. Racist Research.

Tweed Shire Councils official history books make no mention of the information recorded from the language speaking Aboriginal Elders that state Mt Warning is the Turkey (Wulambiny Momoli) and Wollumbin the mountains to the North.

Caldera to the Sea (2006) references the Herron and Reed 1996 Anthropological study for the Murwillumbah management area (State Forests) which repeatedly includes Aboriginal Elder statements that Mt Warning is the Turkey.

Caldera to the Sea also references Nayutah and Finlay which also states Mt Warning is the Turkey.

The false Tweed Shire Council History books follow the false white myth that the face of the Fighting Chief Wollumbin can be seen in Mt Warning.

From Letter to Peter Garrett:

This is a request for the Minister to make Emergency Declarations seeking the preservation and protection of:
1: Mt Warning and Caldera (Wulambiny Momoli / Turkey Nest) and the Distinct Peoples of the Caldera.

NSW NPWS have falsified the studies of my dead Elders and Mother, the Keeper of Lore Elder Millie Boyd, studied by NSW NPWS Anthropologists in the 1970s.

NSW NPWS have claimed in a false transcript that my Mother stated the name of Mt Warning is Wollumbin. (refer transcript attachment). The 1977 Study tape can be viewed here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxWFuQAIbcE

Wulambiny Momoli (Turkey Nest) is the name of Mt Warning / Caldera. Wollumbin Fighting Chief / place of death and burial is the Mountains to the North of Mt Warning.Whites have assumed a false face can be seen in Mt Warning, and were not aware of the studies of our Language speaking Elders that show Mt Warning / Wulambiny Momoli to be the Djurebil (increase site) for Scrub Turkey.

Is Minister Garrett aware that the false Green Cauldron campaign has eliminated the existence of the Githabul People, and is promoting racist false white myth (Wollumbin) as the name for Mt Warning / Wulambiny Momoli?
The Tourism Australia website promotes the representative of the Bundjalung Elders Council Corporation, who claimed Mt Warning and the Tweed on false allegations that it was decided at a Native Title meeting that because the Wollumbin Tribe were massacred in the 1860s, the adjoining Tribes had to take over the Wollumbin land. This is Native Title fraud. He has stolen our identity and rights by claiming we are all dead.

Harry Boyd's letter to the UN includes the following statements:

We (Ngarakwal / Githabul) and the other distinct peoples of the Northern New South Wales, South East Queensland region are being subject to forced assimilation as Bundjalung.

Imposing Identity, Lore, Language, Totem, Dreaming which eliminates our existence as distinct peoples and breaches many articles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The final acts of complete Genocide.

New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service have falsified their studies of my mother, the Keeper of Lore, Elder Millie Boyd, claiming in false transcripts that she stated the Ngarakwal name of Mt Warning was Wollumbin, when she said Wulambiny Momoli / Turkey Nest.

My sister Elder Marlene Boyd, died of a stress induced heart attack fighting these scandals.