"NGAYINTHARRI GUMAWARNI NGURRANGGA"
WE ALL COME TOGETHER FOR COUNTRY
Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) brings together and represents our lands five traditional Aboriginal language groups; Ngarluma, Mardudhunera, Yaburara, Yindjibarndi, and Wong-Goo-Tt-Oo. On a mission to preserve and protect its landholdings for future generations and to enrich and support the welfare of its members, MAC is paving the way for its people to work together for Country, and to respect cultural lore, heritage, and traditions.
Welcome to our MAC newsletter for September.
Many projects at MAC have started to take shape over the past few months and it is exciting to share some of these achievements with you.
Recently we;
- Announced to the world, our discovery of Australia’s first underwater Aboriginal archaeological site on our seafloor by the Deep History of Sea Country project team.
- Ran our very first Murujuga Expo in Roebourne to help support MAC members and the local community achieve their business and employment goals.
- Participated in a TEDx interview panel to discuss Murujuga, our land and people, and the recent underwater heritage finds.
- Welcomed 3 new staff members to MAC.
- Welcomed Hon Ben Wyatt LLB MSc MLA, Kevin Michel MLA and Senator Pat Dodson on country and to our MAC offices for important business updates and progress information sessions.
- Appointed Vince Adams as our new MAC Chairperson.
- And most recently we held the official opening of the Ngajarli Art Viewing Project and celebrated the Murujuga Cultural Landscape being accepted onto the Tentative World Heritage List with a number of MAC and government delegates including Hon Stephen Dawson MLC, Minister for Environment.
These are only a few of the many projects and initiatives we are currently progressing, however it shows you how diverse and important the role of MAC is in many different areas. The projects and engagements we undertake are propelling MAC into a strategic position to ensure we can preserve and protect our culture, land and heritage. We aim to support our members into the future and create long-term mutually beneficial government and industry relationships.
We have been focussed on providing regular updates and useful information, and the feedback to date has been very positive.
Ngayintharri gumawarni ngurrangga and stay safe.
Regards,
Peter Jeffries
CEO, Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation
Official Ngajarli opening and celebration of Tentative World Heritage List announcement
On 26 August 2020, MAC officially opened the the Ngajarli Art Viewing Trail Project with a special on-country event attended by Hon Stephen Dawson MLC, our Circle of Elders and Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions delegates.
Ngajarli is the first recreation site to be developed within the Murujuga National Park, and the new facilities will help MAC rangers best manage the increasing number of visitors to the ancient 40,000-year-old rock art site and protect it from damage.
Through the Australian Heritage Grants Program, the Australian Government contributed $400,000 to the creation of the projects cultural walking trail, boardwalk and interpretive signage points to help preserve the rock art and enrich visitors experience to the area by showcasing its significance and value with informative signage points throughout the project area.
During the opening event, we also took the time to officially celebrate the addition of the Murujuga Cultural Landscape to the Tentative World Heritage List which was announced by our government on 23 January 2020.
A significant milestone in our journey towards World Heritage List, achieving “tentative” status means our submission has formally passed the first stages of the application and review process and can now progress. Further research and reporting for the final submission is required, however the collaborative efforts being made by MAC and the State Government, who have partnered with MAC on this initiative to preserve and protect our heritage and culture, are constantly progressing.
A momentous day, it was wonderful to all come together on-country and really feel the true value of what we have achieved so far.
Read more about the event as featured below;
Department of Biodiversity, Conservations and Attractions (DBCA) - New boardwalk for popular Murujuga rock art site
ABC News - World's largest collection of ancient rock art at Murujuga National Park re-opens
Perth Online News - World’s largest collection of ancient rock art at Murujuga National Park re-opens
Murujuga Heritage Committee
On 29 July 2020 the Murujuga Heritage Committee and interagency taskforce held a joint meeting at MAC to receive an update on the drafting of the nomination book.
Minister for Environment, the Hon Stephen Dawson MLC, conveyed his appreciation to current and former Heritage Committee members, acknowledging the hard work that they have put into the nomination process so far, including achieving the successful Tentative Listing of the Murujuga Cultural Landscape.
Since the last Murujuga Heritage Committee meeting in March, work has commenced on five key sections of the nomination which will be ready for review by the next meeting.
MAC Strategy and Values
As we grow and develop as a corporation, so does our strategy.
We have recently updated our strategic focus into four main objectives, including;
- Managing our land and sea and keeping our culture strong
- Delivering value to our members
- Strengthen our foundations
- Building our commercial footprint
To read more about our strategy and new mission, vision and values, please visit our website or view our plan here.
New Chairperson appointed
Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation is pleased to announce Vince Adams has been officially appointed as the new Chairperson of the MAC Board of Directors, effective 18 August 2020.
Vince is part of the Yindjibarndi custodial group and been a member of our board since 2019.
Vince has held various Chairperson responsibilities on other Boards and having worked on Native Title and within the local mining industry, he brings an extensive set of skills and experience to our Board and MAC. He is a vital part of our corporation and is looking forward to help lead MAC into the future. We are very excited that he has accepted the important responsibility.
Please join me on congratulating Vince on his recent appointment.
Meet our new team members
Mike Fountain, MLSU Ranger Coordinator
In early August we welcomed our new Ranger Coordinator, Mike Fountain, to the team. An integral part of his role will be working with our MLSU Rangers both on land and sea country, and to strengthen our Ranger Program across the board. Mike looks forward to sharing his knowledge and experience with the MLSU Rangers to help MAC build and grow the best Ranger Team in Australia.
Amy Stevens, MAC World Heritage Support Officer
Amy Stevens joined us in July as our World Heritage Support Officer.
Amy is an archaeologist and social research specialist and has worked in the Pilbara for nearly 20 years. Her background is in heritage management, qualitative research and social justice.
As well as assisting MAC with progressing our World Heritage Nomination, Amy will be working closely with the rest of the Murujuga Rangers and team to help record and protect cultural heritage across Murujuga.
TEDx talk
MAC Chief Executive Officer, Peter Jeffries, and Deep History of Sea Country project partner Jo McDonald from the Director of Centre for Rock Art Research and Management joined forces for a LIVE TEDx interview in early August to talk about ‘The Value of Heritage' and what the Deep History of Sea Country discoveries and project outcomes mean.
Business and Employment Development Unit
Our new Business and Employment Development Unit is here to support our members who would like to pursue employment, business and contracting opportunities with our industry partners and/or more broadly.
Recently MAC hosted our very first Murujuga Expo to support its members and the local community in achieving their business and employment goals. Held in July, this event was a great success, seeing approximately 50 MAC members and community members attend to find out more about business and employment opportunities.
Industry & Community News
Come and celebrate our spectacular Pilbara sea country at this years Sea Week 2020! Held at Hearson's Cove on Sunday 20 September from 9-11:30am with a free BBQ, soft drinks, face painting and give-aways. All ages welcome. Come along at any time to join in! Click here for all the details.
The City of Karratha is running The Big YELLOW Walk to support the most yellow day of the year – R U OK Day! This free community hilltop walk takes place on the Yaburara Heritage Trail in Karratha on Saturday 12 September 2020. For all the details visit the City of Karratha website here.
Future Forum 2020 will be held at the Esplanade Hotel Fremantle on Friday 16 October. This one-day symposium will focus on Visions for the future of Aboriginal Heritage in Western Australia. This will be a remarkable opportunity to connect, share and discuss visions, aspirations, innovations and anticipated challenges as a collective of people working and engaging with Aboriginal cultural heritage within the state. To read the event flyer click here, and to register for this event click here.
MAC reminders
The MAC Annual General Meeting is taking place Friday 20 November 2020.
Employment and training opportunities: If your business has any employment or training opportunities available, please feel free to email us and we can include this information on our MAC member newsletters; communications@murujuga.org.au
Ngajarli (Deep Gorge) is now officially reopen.
MAC Cultural Inductions are now available online here.
For all the latest MAC news and updates click here.
Stay safe and look after each other
Office Address: 313 King Bay Road, Dampier, WA 6713
Postal Address: PO Box 1544, Karratha, WA 6714
Email: admin@murujuga.org.au | Phone: +61 8 9144 4112