05/04/2005 - A large group
of Aboriginal elders and traditional owners
have agreed to strive for greater unity among
the different Aboriginal groups with connections
to the country encompassed by the Australian
Alps National Parks following an historic
two day gathering at Mount Hotham in Victoria
over the weekend (April 2-3).
More than 60 Aboriginal leaders and some 40
staff from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife
Service (NPWS ), Parks Victoria and Environment
ACT which manage the Australian Alps National
Parks, gathered to discuss ways of improving
the management of Aboriginal heritage.
The Australian Alps First Peoples Gathering
was funded by the Australian Alps Liaison
Committee, a body set up to coordinate management
of the various alps national parks spread
over the two states and territory as one biogeographic
unit.
Australian Alps program manager, Gillian
Anderson, said today that the weekend was
a great success.
"Representitives from most of the various
Aboriginal language groups were there for
the first time in many, many years.
"The forebears of these people gathered
annually in the Australian Alps for thousands
of years and this was a very rare occasion
and one which was greatly appreciated by all
present. The family connections spread across
the Alps were very evident.
"The two days were full of hearty and
frank discussion between Aboriginal elders
and traditonal owners and the various government
agency staff about how Aboriginal people can
be more involved in the management of the
Alps.
"There were also strong and constant
reminders about what the Alps meant to those
present at the gathering.
"Perhaps the most significant theme
to emerge throughout the two days was the
need for all the various Aboriginal Traditional
Owner groups to have a unity of purpose. There
was much discussion about developing a treaty
between the Aboriginal groups and the importance
the Aboriginal peoples working together and
negotiating with one voice.
"The concept of a treaty or agreement
among the Aboriginal groups was strongly supported
in principle by the staff.
"The Alps Liaison Committee offered
to support efforts to develop this goal further,"
Ms Anderson said.
