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MUNGOREPORTtheCompiled by Western Heritage Group IncStatement of Significance of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area toAboriginal People of Western New South WalesThe Heritage Working Group of the Western Regional Aboriginal Land Council began work in 1984. In 1992 it became the Western Heritage Group Inc and has continued to work on a variety of oral history, language, heritage and publication projects. Most of the Group’s projects are done by the members working together as volunteers.The Mungo Report is a historic document compiled between 1985 and 1991. This was an important period in the re-assertion of Aboriginal rights and obligations to land and culture. The Western Regional Aboriginal Land Council led the land and culture movement in the far west of NSW and included a Heritage Working Group that compiled The Mungo Report. The style of the report reflects the assertive mood of that time and the need to be meaningful to Aboriginal readers. A draft of The Mungo Report was circulated in 1992, but when Regional Land Councils were abolished by a hostile NSW Government, the resources to finalise and publish the report were lost. After 25 years, funds finally became available to review and prepare The Mungo Report in a format that honours the original vision. This publication now brings to light the memories, ideas, beliefs, knowledge and opinions of a wide range of Aboriginal people connected to this outstanding heritage place. Their strong messages are still relevant to ongoing discussions about the relationship between Aboriginal people and the study and management of their cultural heritage today.Published in 2017 by Western Heritage Group Inc. PO Box 160, Wilcannia NSW 2836 mungoreport@skymesh.com.auAll words, artworks, photographs and other creative works remain the property of the individual or institutional creators, owners or custodians.Production and compilation is copyright © Western Heritage Group Inc.The Mungo Report may be downloaded without cost and printed from the web site of Western Heritage Group Inc:www.westernheritagegroup.com.auExtracts may be reproduced for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act. Extracts may also be used for not-for-profit community use. Western Heritage Group has made every effort to contact the copyright holders for permission to use material reproduced here. If your material has been inadvertently used without permission, please contact Western Heritage Group Inc.National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entryTitle:The Mungo Report : Statement of significance of the Willandra Lakes world heritage area to Aboriginal people of Western New South Wales / produced by Western Heritage Group Inc.ISBN:9780648148807 (ebook)Notes:Includes bibliographical references.Subjects:Aboriginal Australians--New South Wales--Western Division. Families, Aboriginal Australian--New South Wales—Western Division. Aboriginal Australians--New South Wales—Western Division--Social life and customs. Aboriginal Australians--New South Wales—Western Division--Social conditions. Community life--New South Wales--Western Division. Aboriginal Australians--New South Wales—Western Division--History.Other Creators/Contributors: Western Heritage Group, issuing body.Published on the web site of Western Heritage Group Inc:www.westernheritagegroup.com.auWestern Heritage Group Inc is a not-for-profit association. Income is used to fund projects in western New South Wales. Western Heritage Group Inc accepts donations to support its work.MUNGOREPORTtheStatement of Significance of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area toAboriginal People of Western New South Walesstatements contributed between 1985 and 1991update to 2017production and editorial content by Western Heritage GroupLOCATION MAP: WILLANDRA LAKES WORLD HERITAGE AREA AND MUNGO NATIONAL PARKWelcome!It is good you have come to this heritage land of our ancestors.Tread softly and peacefully as we share.Alice Kelly, Senior custodian of the Willandra Lakes0510203040kmWorld Heritage AreaProtected AreaDry Lake BedWater CoursesRoadsTracks1.9Chapter 1. Making this Report ............................................................................................................................... 1.1-1.13Chapter 2. The Willandra Lakes – A Sacred Place .............. 2.1-2.17Chapter 3. Belonging to the Willandra Lakes ........................................................ 3.1Chapter 4. Invasion and Response .............................................................................................................................. 4.1Chapter 5. Working on Stations Around the Willandra Lakes ..................................................................................................................................... 5.1Chapter 6. Aboriginal Perspectives on Archaeology in the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area ........................ 6.1-6.151Chapter 7. Management and Care of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area ..................................................................................................... 7.1Chapter 8. Update to 2017 .................................................................................................................................................................................. 8.1CONTENTSTHE MUNGO REPORT1.1MUNGOREPORTtheStatement of Significance of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area toAboriginal People of Western New South Walesstatements contributed between 1985 and 1991update to 2017production and editorial content by Western Heritage GroupCHAPTER 1MAKING THIS REPORT1.21.3Our ancestors can’t speak or fight for themselves. It’s up to us to do it for them.Herbie Pettit (Robinvale,1985)CONTENTSThe Land and the PeoplePurpose of this ReportHistory of this ReportLocality MapHow this Report was put togetherList of ContributorsAcknowledgementsReferencesCHAPTER 1Making this Report1.41.5THE LAND AND THE PEOPLEThis Statement of Significance encompasses a much wider area than the designated Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area. This is because the Willandra Lakes lie within the land of more than one Aboriginal group, with each group’s land extending well beyond the World Heritage Area. The Willandra Lakes also has significance to Aboriginal people from a wider region. The evidence from oral history shows the many ties that Aboriginal people have ties with this land through birthplace, time spent, work, family graves, ancestry, kinship, ceremony and other connections. Most people with ties to the Willandra Lakes are now living in towns in far-western NSW and north-western Victoria, though some live further away.PURPOSE OF THE MUNGO REPORT This Statement of Significance aims to make clear the spiritual, ancestral, economic and historic ties that Aboriginal people have with the land now forming the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area. The Mungo Report also presents Aboriginal views on the control and management of this World Heritage Area. The Report is built around people’s memories, ideas, beliefs, knowledge and opinions, that were recorded between 1985 and 1991.The release of this historic Report allows the voices from 1985 to 1991 to be heard today. These voices combine to give a unique collective memory extending back to the early 20th century. The voices come from a dynamic period of regional re-assertion of Aboriginal land and cultural interests. These historic voices are especially important in guiding discussion about the respect and care due to the skeletal remains of ancestors.HISTORY OF THE MUNGO REPORT When the Willandra Lakes were listed as a World Heritage Area in 1981, the Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments commissioned a number of reports on the natural and cultural values of the Area. The knowledge and advice gathered in these reports was intended to feed into the management planning for the World Heritage Area.-The Western Regional Aboriginal Land Council took on one aspect of this management planning process - the documentation of Aboriginal cultural values, associations and views on management. The Regional Land Council saw this work as part of its role to assert Aboriginal rights and obligations to land and culture in western New South Wales. A limited amount of funding was provided by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Commonwealth Department of the Environment.People’s words were recorded between 1985 and 1991.A draft text of this Report was produced in 1992 and presented to all Local Aboriginal Land Councils in the Western Region, as well as to the National Parks and Wildlife Service and to the Commonwealth Department of the Environment. The Western Regional Aboriginal Land Council lost its powers in 1992 due to hostile amendments to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act by the NSW Greiner Government. This removed the ability of the Regional Land Council to support the finalisation and distribution of The Mungo Report, so the 1992 draft sat on the shelf and was largely forgotten for many years.In 1992, the Heritage Working Group of the Western Regional Aboriginal Land Council became the Western Heritage Group Inc and continued working on projects in the region. In 2014, the agencies involved in management of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area were reminded of the 1992 draft Report and its rich content. Those agencies decided The Mungo Report would make a unique and vital contribution to renewed discussion about Aboriginal involvement in management of the World Heritage Area. Western Heritage Group was offered funding through the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage to review the 1992 draft and prepare it for publication. Western Heritage Group made a decision to keep The Mungo Report as a historic document of memories, ideas, beliefs, knowledge and opinions as they were at 1985 to 1991. A comprehensive update is beyond the scope of the present task. This historic Report has its own special value.A short update to 2017 is provided to help the reader understand the place of this historic Report in the context of all the social, political, administrative and legal changes since 1992. Words for ‘people’ in Aboriginal languagesAboriginal people of the region have different ways of describing themselves. Many people in this Statement of Significance simply say ‘Aboriginal people’, or ‘our people’ or ‘Blackfellas’, but some contributors also use the word in a local language for ‘person’ or ‘Aboriginal people’.Wiimpatja is the word for ‘person’ or ‘people’ in the Paakantji language.Mayi is the word for ‘person’ or ‘people’ in the Ngiyampaa language. Koori is now the most common word in use for ‘person’ or ‘people’ in the areas to the south and east of Mungo, including the lands of the Yitha Yitha, Mathi Mathi, Wemba Wemba and Yorta Yorta peoples.The Mungo Woman is so old, she doesn’t just belong to one group of people. She belongs to all Aboriginal people.Mary PappinBalranald 19911.61.7As part of preparing the update, the 2014-15 funding covered travel expenses to allow Suzanne Hall and Karin Donaldson from the Western Heritage Group to visit many of the contributors to the 1992 draft Report (or a family member if they had died). The update includes short comments in 2014 and 2015 from some of the contributors, including on whether their views on any issues had changed. HOW THE MUNGO REPORT WAS PUT TOGETHERORAL HISTORY:Memories, ideas, beliefs, knowledge and opinions were written down by Karin Donaldson between 1985 and 1991. Karin also took photos of contributors at that time.During those years, most contributors to this Report lived in Balranald, Robinvale, Buronga, Dareton, Wentworth, Pooncarie, Menindee, Wilcannia, Broken Hill, Ivanhoe, Lake Cargelligo, Murrin Bridge, Griffith, and Rankins Springs. There are a few contributions from people living in other places.Two main trips were made around the region to talk with individuals and small groups. In most cases it was possible to re-visit contributors, show them where the work was up to and add more of their words. Private funding enabled a further trip in 1990 to Ivanhoe, Griffith, Balranald, Buronga and Dareton. This allowed Karin and Gayle Kennedy to visit some contributors, discuss the proposed format and add more contributions.The aim was to get contributions from many Aboriginal people who have a variety of connections to the Willandra Lakes region. Another aim was to include people from different age groups, different economic situations and different educational levels.Contributions were invited from a few Aboriginal people who have no direct ties with the Willandra Lakes but who have personal links with some contributors and could add to the broad perspective about the issues involved.MEETINGS:As well as the personal contributions, there were two large meetings at Lake Mungo to discuss management arrangements for the World Heritage Area, with discussion focused particularly on the return of human remains. There was a gathering to accept the return of the remains of Mungo Woman in January 1992. This Report contains some comments from people at these meetings about those particular issues. The meetings were very valuable because they enabled important older people to get together. They facilitated the beginning of a regional Aboriginal position on the issues dealt with in this Report.LIMITATIONS:The extent of the 1985 to 1991 oral history work was limited. Government funding for travel costs could only support two trips. This limitation on the project meant that some people were irritated by the lack of time to think about the issues.We’re used to having time, listening to the old people, what they say. We’re not used to this way.Kay ShepherdSome people were also irritated because they wanted a follow-up visit to hear what significant people said before they made a full contribution themselves. I don’t want to say too much, because I’m waiting to hear what Aunty Alice Kelly says, see? She’s the main one on Mungo. Arthur LawsonThese limitations were partly overcome when private donations made possible a short third trip to some towns in 1990.Alice Kelly and Elsie Jones at a meeting at Mungo Woolshed.1.81.9A FORMAT FOR THE REPORT:Many contributors expressed frustration with the way reports on Aboriginal cultural issues are usually done, with the priorities of academics or government departments dominating. They complained that not only is there inadequate consultation with Aboriginal people, but the reports are not presented in a way that is meaningful and easily understood. To address this wish for culturally relevant presentation, Karin Donaldson devised several possible layouts and showed them to a number of contributors for comment. It soon became apparent that an informal, personalised, photographic layout was overwhelmingly preferred. This format is helpful in several ways. It shows equal respect for each contributor. It allowed contributors to easily find the words of others they especially respected. It humanises this Statement of Significance so that a reader ‘meets the contributor’ face to face. It is helpful in showing the age range of those contributing. Once we had reached agreement about the general style of the report, Alice Kelly, Anthony Pease and Peter Thompson also made important suggestions to Karin about layout and design. THE 1992 DRAFT OF THE MUNGO REPORT: The 1992 draft Report was in a rough layout as developed through these discussions. It was presented to Local Aboriginal Land Councils in the region and to relevant Government agencies. As stated in the section ‘History of the Mungo Report’, it sat on the shelf for many years.REVIEW 2014-2016:The opportunity to review the 1992 draft and prepare it for publication came with a funding offer from NSW and Commonwealth Governments in 2014.CHECKING 2014-15:Suzanne Hall and Karin Donaldson travelled to visit all the contributors they could find, or family members of those who were deceased. After the long lapse in time, it was important to check that people were still happy to have their 1985 to 1991 quotes published. In all cases, contributors said that they still held the same views as at that time. EDITING 2014-17:Original quotes from the contributors were kept. The sections and chapters of the 1992 draft Report were rearranged slightly. The aim is to clearly state, in the words of the contributors, the significance of Mungo, people’s cultural associations, their perspectives on archaeology and their views on management. Editorial comment was cut to a minimum. This work to prepare The Mungo Report for publication was done by Peter Thompson, Karin Donaldson and Suzanne Hall between 2014 and 2017. Jane Carroll proof-read various drafts.DESIGN FOR PUBLICATION:The style of The Mungo Report came from discussions in the 1980s between Karin Donaldson and the contributors, with special input from Alice Kelly. The design concept for the final Report was developed by Suzanne Hall, Karin Donaldson, Peter Thompson and David Shipman in 2015. Graphic design ready for publication was done by David Shipman in 2015-17.Locality map of places in the region around the Willandra LakesWillandra Lakes100kmNext >