Sacred sites – a warning to us all

Great article in the Spectator by Tony Letford

We are being misled about indigenous history

They are at it again. Another group of First Nations people is trying to close a part of a national park because it is a ‘sacred site’. This time it is Mt Warning, aka Wollumbin, on the far north coast of NSW. It is ‘sacred’ to the Bundjalung people and, until recently, attracted over 100,000 visitors annually who took the 8.8-kilometre round-trip to the summit to enjoy the spectacular coastal views.

Closing down walking trails around Australia because they impinge on sacred sites is increasingly common. When Uluru was closed down it was national news but the closure of less well-known sites such as St Mary’s Peak in the Flinders Ranges and various parts of the Grampians National Park in Western Victoria is passing almost unnoticed. A recent edition of the ABC programme Four Corners dealt with problems in Kakadu where traditional owners are threatening to close the entire park unless Canberra allows them a greater say in managing Kakadu.

The story was a masterpiece of obfuscation as it avoided any suggestion that indigenous intransigence was contributing to Kakadu’s problems.

In an attempt to appease the locals, federal Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley removed the three most senior Canberra appointees and promised to pay greater attention to the desires of the traditional owners. At least one walking track near a major tourist attraction is now closed because of ‘potential damage to sacred sites’.

As an atheist I do not accept that there are such things as sites which are sacred due to their connection with holy spirits. Thus I do not believe that the ground on which the Vatican or Canterbury Cathedral are located is sacred. I do accept unreservedly that the Catholics and Anglicans for whom these sites have tremendous spiritual significance have every right to consider them as sacred ground and they have that right because they subscribe to a set of beliefs and teachings which have been passed down from one generation to the next over several centuries.

Read the rest at the Spectator!

Comments

Mount Warning: Aboriginal claims about summit climb are contested

"How can the public experience the spiritual significance of this land if they do not climb the summit and witness creation." Ngaraakwal Elder Marlene Boyd RIP NSW NPWS have the following description about Aboriginal attitudes to people climbing to the summit of Mt Warning on their webpage about the walking track: Wollumbin, which means ‘cloud catcher’ to some Aboriginal People, is a traditional place of cultural law, initiation and spiritual education for the people of the Bundjalung Nation. Under Bundjalung law, only certain people can climb the summit. Out of respect for their law and culture, consider not climbing the summit. These claims, including the very name applied to the mountain, are contested and it seems there is another story that NSW NPWS have not properly acknowledged and have long kept from public attention. We came across this article from the Daily News February 24 2007 about Ngaraakwal Elder Marlene Boyd that makes for interesting reading. It seems

Mt Warning - Summit signing, time capsule

A Mt Warning Visit, summit signing Drove up the long road from Sydney, leaving early to grab a beer at the Mt Warning Hotel at Uki in the afternoon. There's a nice view of the summit from the smoker's deck. The tip of the mountain was catching clouds and then letting them go. I met Roger, a one-legged ex- navy seal and former security guard to Gloria Estafan. He was an interesting bloke, sucking a large Cuban cigar and slamming spiced rum on ice. He had one eye, apparently, he had lost the other blue pearl in a firefight with Somali terrorists in the Persian Gulf. We had a brief discussion of current affairs and the insanity of public parks being closed for no good reason, and vandalism of the tourism industry by a woke broken Bureaucracy - just light conversation. I mentioned I had a mission that might suit him and he agreed to join in. We headed to the Mt Warning Rainforest Caravan Park. Mt Warning from the Mt Warning Hotel Roads around the area are still not repaired from la

17th death on the Rock

17th death on the Rock ABC report that a 76 year old Japanese man collapsed on the steep part of the climb and despite first aid, was not able to be revived. The elderly Japanese man likely died as a result of heart complications, probably brought on by existing (perhaps unknown) medical conditions and over exerting himself. He appears to have died revelling in the opportunity life provides. RIP Brother of the Rock. Our thoughts with his family and the first attenders who did their best to treat him. It's sad, but life goes on, and so should the climb. His death marks the 17th death ON the Rock since 26 May 1962 when 16 year old school boy Brian Strieff, on a school excursion with Carey Grammar, wondered off the main path in heavy fog on the way down and fell to his death. ABC's report indicate it is the 37th death, but these figures from Parks Australia have not been substantiated. It seems that many of the deaths Parks Australia claim to have occurred ON the Rock occurr

Right to Climb

Search This Blog