Aboriginal Rights

» woorama - Sweet Spot - Native Land Action

In response to Sweet Spot - Native Land Action posted by woorama:

Colin's talked me into putting this into the context of a grander vision.

So we've come up with the idea of linking our project sites together along traditional songlines, making dreaming trails along these lines incorporating bush food plants and artworks. gradually, these would link to other sites as well, and other projects through land councils and organisations.

here's some of my thoughts on the vision.

eventually, it will spread, web-like, across the land. it has the potential to be a very organic process, owned by all who participate, with no bureacracy to mess it up. diversity in society and nature is what keeps things going and prevents stagnation - shouldn't the same principle be applied to management? i'm very firm on this - i don't want us to "own" the project (although i would like it to sustain us, and the participants). each component of the web needs to be led by the traditional owners of the territory upon which it lies. (that way, destructive egos and management interference only have the potential to destroy part of the web, rather than all of it).

the ramifications of this will be enormous. to have the songlines in the public domain, valued and known by all australians - this would really publically negate the idea of terra nullius... it would indicate a strong indigenous presence on the land, and place our sovereign rights in clear view. and to be able to travel these ways again when approaching a different language group's land - this will be very empowering.

but anyway, first things first. we still need to start with the first site, which would be like a phase one.

phase two would be to establish multiple sites, or form partnerships with existing sites.

phase three might be to find songlines that connect some of these sites, and work to build dreaming trails linking them.

phase four would be to publicise and grow this network, building a platform for social reform as we go.

-- posted by woorama