We have been reporting on NPWS deliberate misrepresentation of Aboriginal views and cultural stories about Mt Warning for some time. In an article in today's Daily Telegraph Ngarakbal Githabul elder Elizabeth Boyd (daughter of Marlene Boyd) confirms NPWS did not properly consult Aboriginal groups in preparing its Aboriginal Place Management Plan for the park, released by the Minister in October.
In the article Ms Boyd states: “The Ngarakbal Githabul women have not been included in any of the consultative process in regards to the management or closure of Mount Warning. The State Government’s administrative decision to permanently close Mount Warning not only contravenes my customary law rights and women’s rights and human rights – but also my cultural responsibilities to the Gulgan (a Ngarakbal Githabul word for pathway keeper) memorial.”
NPWS have known about Ngarakbal Githabul claims since the late 1990s. The declaration of Aboriginal Place at Mt Warning in 2014 indicated there are "at least eight separate stories about the mountain and its cultural meaning. Each story is equally valid; with no one story taking precedence.". Shame on them for misinforming the public and Minister for more than 2 decades. This deserves a full inquiry by the Ombudsman it but seems he lacks the balls to delve deeper into this mess.
The full article:
Mt Warning Indigenous women’s sacred sites being ‘extinguished’ by male site claims
A controversial ban declaring Mt Warning walking track and climbing the mountain off limits to the public because of claims it is for Indigenous men only is being disputed.
A NSW government plan to ban public access — as well as impose ‘male only’ gender restrictions — in a popular North Coast national park walking track has been criticised by female Indigenous leaders as “highly discriminatory” who say it would “dispossess” women whose ancestors came from the area.
They say “sacred women’s” lore sites are located within the Mount Warning park – which NSW Environment Minister James Griffin declared off limits to the public last month.
Future control of the landmark Wollumbin National Park summit trek, in Mount Warning, would be given to an Aboriginal group under a new management plan, the minister said.
That’s despite more than 127,000 people hiking the iconic summit every year, which is the first place in mainland Australia to receive the sun’s rays in the morning.
The new plan says “the whole of Wollumbin Mountain is a men’s site and therefore gender restrictions apply to working on or visiting the Wollumbin Mountain”.
It even says giving women access to areas that are restricted to men, would mean “women are in physical danger and likewise for men” and both could become sick.
The Indigenous group to be given control of the Mount Warning site come from the Bunjalung nations – but local Ngarakbal Githabul women say this is discriminatory and incorrect.
North Coast Indigenous woman Stella Wheildon, who has extensively researched the history of Indigenous people in the area, said the contested national park in fact contained female sacred sites and the Yoocum Yoocum ancestors, and the Ngarakbal Githabul people, were the original people from the area.
“A group of men appears to be extinguishing the ancestral women’s lore by claiming everything in Mount Warning National Park is exclusively male and Bundjalung,” Ms Wheildon said.
“The Wollumbin Consultative Group has discriminated against the women and our lores.”
She said they had sought to cancel the female Grandmother Rainbow Serpent and Seven Sisters lore traditions of the “moiety”, or social group.
Elder Elizabeth Davis Boyd, whose totemic tribal name is “Eelemarni”, hit out at the government’s plans – saying she would not even be allowed to visit her own mother’s memorial in the park if they are enacted.
Ms Boyd is the authorised representative of the Ngarakbal Githabul women. Her late mother Marlene Boyd was recognised as the “Keeper of the Seven Sisters Creation Site” of which Mount Warning is one – and in fact has a memorial dedicated to her on the Lyrebird Track at the base of the park.
“Mount Warning and the closure process is being internationally reported as a Bundjalung men’s site,” she said.
“This is not correct and doing great damage to my ancestral culture, tradition and lores.
“My ancestors were already here.
“The Ngarakbal Githabul women have not been included in any of the consultative process in regards to the management or closure of Mount Warning.
“The State Government’s administrative decision to permanently close Mount Warning not only contravenes my customary law rights and women’s rights and human rights – but also my cultural responsibilities to the Gulgan (a Ngarakbal Githabul word for pathway keeper) memorial.”
The women say there are sacred women’s lore sites, specific to the Seven Sisters Wiangaree Tcherunga Dreaming, located on the northern face of Mount Warning.
Minister Griffin was asked about the discrimination claim raised by the women, but referred questions to the department.
A National Parks and Wildlife Service spokeswoman said “Aboriginal custodians will make decisions about the future of the summit walking track”.
“The Wollumbin Consultative Group is intended to include all Aboriginal people with cultural connections to Wollumbin,” she said.
“Membership of the Wollumbin Consultative Group is determined by Aboriginal people.
“It has broad representation, including from the Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council, Bundjalung Council of Elders, adjacent native title claimants including Gold Coast Native Title Group, The Githabul People, Widjabul People, Byron Bay Bundalung People, representatives from family groups with knowledge and links to Wollumbin, a representative from Tweed Shire Aboriginal Advisory Committee.”
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