Report of an Ethnographic Survey 230407 Survey... · 2013. 10. 15. · Report of an Ethnographic...

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Report of an Ethnographic Survey of Northern and Southern Areas of Pilbara Iron’s Billiard Prospect, either side of Weeli Wolli Creek, Yandicoogina, Pilbara, Western Australia. Bill Day PhD (UWA) View over extensions to Pilbara Iron’s Yandi mine, towards Weeli Wolli Creek, 23 April 2007 For Pilbara Iron and Gumala Aboriginal Corporation April 2007

Transcript of Report of an Ethnographic Survey 230407 Survey... · 2013. 10. 15. · Report of an Ethnographic...

Page 1: Report of an Ethnographic Survey 230407 Survey... · 2013. 10. 15. · Report of an Ethnographic Survey of Northern and Southern Areas of Pilbara Iron’s Billiard Prospect, either

Report of an Ethnographic Survey of Northern and Southern Areas of Pilbara Iron’s Billiard Prospect, either side of Weeli Wolli Creek, Yandicoogina, Pilbara, Western Australia. Bill Day PhD (UWA)

View over extensions to Pilbara Iron’s Yandi mine, towards Weeli Wolli Creek, 23 April 2007

For Pilbara Iron and Gumala Aboriginal Corporation April 2007

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Contents Map 1: Billiards North………………………………………………………………..ii

Map 2: Weeli Wolli East and Weeli Wolli West…………………………………….iii

Plate 1: Site B07-02, Billiards North, looking northeast……………………………..5

Plate 2: Consultants at Site B07-01…………………………………………………..6

Plate 3: Water Re-injection Bore beside Weeli Wolli Creek………………………....9

Plate 4: Water flowing in Weeli Wolli Creek, southern end of Yandi lease………….9

Figure 1: Indigenous Consultants……………………………………………………..3

1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………..1

2. Indigenous Consultants……………………………………………………………2

3. Previous Ethnographic Research…………………………………………………3

4. Ethnographic Survey Methodology………………………………………………5

5. Women’s Knowledge………………………………………………………………7

5.1 Connection to country through conception…………………………….7

5.2 Botanical Surveys……………………………………………………...…7

6. Recommendations…………………………………………………………………8

7. References………………………………………………………………………...10

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8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

7410

00 m

E

7415

00 m

E

7420

00 m

E

7405

00 m

E

7390

00 m

E

7395

00 m

E

7400

00 m

E

7481000 mN

7479000 mN

7482000 mN

7482500 mN

7483000 mN

7483500 mN

7479500 mN

7480000 mN

7480500 mN

7481500 mN

P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572892989298929892989298929892989298929

475475475475475475475475475

477477477477477477477477477

501501501501501501501501501

484484484484484484484484484

489489489489489489489489489

494494494494494494494494494

487487487487487487487487487

486486486486486486486486486

482482482482482482482482482

531531531531531531531531531

549549549549549549549549549

549549549549549549549549549

491491491491491491491491491

494494494494494494494494494

569569569569569569569569569

569569569569569569569569569

538538538538538538538538538

P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572

B07-02B07-02B07-02B07-02B07-02B07-02B07-02B07-02B07-02

B07-03B07-03B07-03B07-03B07-03B07-03B07-03B07-03B07-03

B07-04B07-04B07-04B07-04B07-04B07-04B07-04B07-04B07-04

B07-01B07-01B07-01B07-01B07-01B07-01B07-01B07-01B07-01

WEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EX

P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572P03572

++

+

MACMACMACMACMACMACMACMACMAC

ChannarChannarChannarChannarChannarChannarChannarChannarChannarMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount Whaleback

ParaburdooParaburdooParaburdooParaburdooParaburdooParaburdooParaburdooParaburdooParaburdoo

JimblebarJimblebarJimblebarJimblebarJimblebarJimblebarJimblebarJimblebarJimblebar

BHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO Yandi

Eastern RangeEastern RangeEastern RangeEastern RangeEastern RangeEastern RangeEastern RangeEastern RangeEastern Range

Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2NammuldiNammuldiNammuldiNammuldiNammuldiNammuldiNammuldiNammuldiNammuldi

MarandooMarandooMarandooMarandooMarandooMarandooMarandooMarandooMarandoo

Mount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceParaburdoo

West AngelasWest AngelasWest AngelasWest AngelasWest AngelasWest AngelasWest AngelasWest AngelasWest Angelas

YandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicoogina

Mesa JMesa JMesa JMesa JMesa JMesa JMesa JMesa JMesa J

Hope DownsHope DownsHope DownsHope DownsHope DownsHope DownsHope DownsHope DownsHope Downs

Cape LambertDampier

Port Hedland

Billiards 2007 EDPAProposed Heritage Survey Areas

Author:J.Deacon

Report No.:

Projection GDA94 Zone50

Revised:

Dwg No.:PDE0027356v1a_Map1

Drawn:T.C.

Scale:1:20 000@A2

Date:2nd March 2007

Yandicoogina Creek

Wee

li Woll

i Cre

ek

BHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO Yandi Yandi VillageWC96_061WC96_061WC96_061WC96_061WC96_061WC96_061WC96_061WC96_061WC96_061

INNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILI YandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicoogina

MAP INDEX

MAP 1

MAP 2

LEGEND

853853853853853853853853853&

Billiards Resource Outline

Watercourse

Contour

Road

Railway

Mine

Spot Height

Tracks

Unsealed Road

HERITAGE LEGEND

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Previous heritage site

Other heritage survey area

Native Title Claim Boundary

DIA site

Proposed Heritage Survey Areas

Avoidance Site

Avoidance Site

Powerline Avoidance Area

New heritage siteOld heritage site

0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6km

Scale: 1:10,000

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Billiards 2007 EDPAProposed Heritage Survey Areas

Author:J.Deacon

Report No.:

Projection GDA94 Zone50

Revised:

Dwg No.:PDE0027356v1a_Map2

Drawn:T.C.

Scale:1:20 000@A2

Date:2nd March 2007

7345

00 m

E

7350

00 m

E

7340

00 m

E

7335

00 m

E

7320

00 m

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7310

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7315

00 m

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7473500 mN

7472000 mN73

2500

mE

7330

00 m

E

7470500 mN

7471000 mN

7471500 mN

7472500 mN

7473000 mN

184231842318423184231842318423184231842318423

526526526526526526526526526

531531531531531531531531531

521521521521521521521521521

521521521521521521521521521

522522522522522522522522522

539539539539539539539539539

573573573573573573573573573

524524524524524524524524524

531531531531531531531531531

596596596596596596596596596

546546546546546546546546546

516516516516516516516516516

516516516516516516516516516

516516516516516516516516516

516516516516516516516516516

517517517517517517517517517

514514514514514514514514514

576576576576576576576576576

521521521521521521521521521

562562562562562562562562562

596596596596596596596596596

551551551551551551551551551

Y99-01Y99-01Y99-01Y99-01Y99-01Y99-01Y99-01Y99-01Y99-01

HDMS-03HDMS-03HDMS-03HDMS-03HDMS-03HDMS-03HDMS-03HDMS-03HDMS-03

B05-02B05-02B05-02B05-02B05-02B05-02B05-02B05-02B05-02

B05-04B05-04B05-04B05-04B05-04B05-04B05-04B05-04B05-04

B05-P01B05-P01B05-P01B05-P01B05-P01B05-P01B05-P01B05-P01B05-P01

B05-01B05-01B05-01B05-01B05-01B05-01B05-01B05-01B05-01

B05-03B05-03B05-03B05-03B05-03B05-03B05-03B05-03B05-03

WEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EXWEELI-EX

B07-05B07-05B07-05B07-05B07-05B07-05B07-05B07-05B07-05

P02177P02177P02177P02177P02177P02177P02177P02177P02177100071000710007100071000710007100071000710007

++

+

MACMACMACMACMACMACMACMACMACChannarChannarChannarChannarChannarChannarChannarChannarChannar

Mount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackMount WhalebackParaburdooParaburdooParaburdooParaburdooParaburdooParaburdooParaburdooParaburdooParaburdoo

JimblebarJimblebarJimblebarJimblebarJimblebarJimblebarJimblebarJimblebarJimblebar

BHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO Yandi

Eastern RangeEastern RangeEastern RangeEastern RangeEastern RangeEastern RangeEastern RangeEastern RangeEastern Range

Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2Brockman No.2

NammuldiNammuldiNammuldiNammuldiNammuldiNammuldiNammuldiNammuldiNammuldiMarandooMarandooMarandooMarandooMarandooMarandooMarandooMarandooMarandoo

Mount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceMount Tom PriceParaburdoo

West AngelasWest AngelasWest AngelasWest AngelasWest AngelasWest AngelasWest AngelasWest AngelasWest Angelas

YandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicoogina

Mesa JMesa JMesa JMesa JMesa JMesa JMesa JMesa JMesa J

Hope DownsHope DownsHope DownsHope DownsHope DownsHope DownsHope DownsHope DownsHope Downs

Cape LambertDampier

Port Hedland

Yandicoogina Creek

Wee

li Woll

i Cre

ek

BHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO YandiBHPIO Yandi Yandi VillageWC96_061WC96_061WC96_061WC96_061WC96_061WC96_061WC96_061WC96_061WC96_061

INNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILIINNAWONGA BUNJIMA & NIAPAILI YandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicooginaYandicoogina

MAP INDEX

MAP 1

MAP 2

LEGEND

853853853853853853853853853&

Billiards Resource Outline

Watercourse

Contour

Road

Railway

Mine

Spot Height

Tracks

Unsealed Road

HERITAGE LEGEND

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Previous heritage site

Other heritage survey area

Native Title Claim Boundary

DIA site

Proposed Heritage Survey Areas

Avoidance Site

Avoidance Site

Powerline Avoidance Area

New heritage siteOld heritage site

0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6km

Scale: 1:10,000

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Report of an Ethnographic Survey of Northern and Southern Areas of Pilbara Iron’s Billiard Prospect, either side of Weeli Wolli Creek, Yandicoogina, Pilbara, Western Australia. April 2007 By Bill Day PhD (UWA) For Pilbara Iron and Gumala Aboriginal Corporation 1. Introduction

The ethnographic survey area consisted of five separate parts totalling 7.4 square

kilometres adjoining previously surveyed areas (see Day 2004a, 2004b, 2005a, 2005b,

2005c). The larger section, Billiards North,1 is an L-shaped area straddling Weeli

Wolli Creek on the northern end of the Pilbara Iron (PI) Yandi lease (Map1).

Indigenous consultants with archaeologist Adam Dias located four previously

unmapped artefact scatter sites in this area. These sites have been marked by tape and

will not be disturbed by the proposed drilling. Site P03572 marked on Map 1 was

originally described by Tonkinson and Veth (1986) as a large cave with a scatter of

surface artefacts. However, Dias (2007) was unable to find a cave or any geological

features capable of containing such a cave in the survey area. As Dias (2007) notes,

‘It is likely that the DIA location [for P03572] is a more accurate location.’ This site

is in a rocky gully area, a considerable distance outside the Survey Area and therefore

not considered in this report.

Weeli Wolli East and Weeli Wolli West (Map 2) are four separate areas to the east

and the west of the Weeli Wolli Creek at the southern end of the PI lease. Dias (2007)

notes that one archaeological site was identified in these survey areas. Dias also

noted:

During the course of the Survey the team located a series of steel dropper

posts. These posts appeared to be recent, were tied with pink and white

flagging tape, and were labelled with AMG co-ordinates and an identifying

code beginning BFN or MM. In total over 30 of these posts were observed

1 The Banyjima and Nyiyaparli Consultants objected to natural features being given names like ‘Billiards’ and ‘Snooker.’ They stated that these and similarly imposed names were disrespectful of Aboriginal people.

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throughout the Survey. The Traditional Owners expressed concerns over the

presence of these posts in un-surveyed land. They desired that their concerns

be a part of the Preliminary advice, and that Pilbara Iron be informed.

Apparently the 30 posts observed by Aboriginal consultants with Dias (2007) were

planted by a team on foot before the area was surveyed for archaeological or

ethnographic sites. It was only by good fortune that the 30 posts did not damage an

unsurveyed site or desecrate an unrecorded ethnographic site.

Perhaps the above incident could have been avoided if Aboriginal monitors had been

employed, as recommended by Eddie McDonald in 2003. McDonald (2003d)

suggested that the creeks [around Yandicoogina mine] could be considered to

constitute part of ‘a “cultural landscape” through their interconnections with

habitation, ceremonial and other sites in the area.’ With this in mind, Dr McDonald

(2003d) recommended the use of Aboriginal monitors in future drilling programs

(cited in Day 2004b:11).

Joel Deacon, Pilbara Iron’s Acting Superintendent of Heritage Program Development

and Compliance also explained how a small weather station was to be placed in the

Junction area ‘off the road near the creek’ to monitor the environmental and weather

indicators and ‘make sure everything stays the same.’ The weather station would not

be conspicuous. He confirmed that the Weeli Wolli Creek ‘exclusion zone’ will be

extended the full length of the creek inside the PI lease.

2. Indigenous Consultants

Consulting Anthropologist, Dr Bill Day, with Gumala Aboriginal Corporation

Aboriginal Liaison Officer, Greg Tucker, and Joel Deacon accompanied six

representatives of the Banyjima and Nyiyaparli language groups on this ethnographic

survey, conducted on April 23rd, 2007. Other than Greg Tucker, the Aboriginal

consultants were all women. The choice of Nyiyaparli representatives was agreed by

their representative body, Karlka Nyiyaparli.

A previous ethnographic report has noted the need for women to be consulted in

ethnographic studies (Day 2004b:13). In confirmation of this recommendation, the

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comments by women in this report add depth to the ethnographic detail that has not

been revealed in previous surveys. It can be argued that consulting only with the men

is an artificial and Westernised interpretation of Aboriginal society (see Turner 1990).

In addition, Senior Aboriginal Consultants in this ethnographic heritage survey

repeated the request that they should be accompanied by a paid younger assistant (see

Day 2004b:13). This would be in keeping with traditional ways of passing on

knowledge of country.

All the Indigenous Consultants gave permission for their names to be used in this

report. The proposed contents and recommendations of this report were discussed

with the consultants, all of whom have authority to speak for the survey area.

Figure 1: Indigenous Consultants

3. Previous Ethnographic Research

A line approximately along Weeli Wolli Creek is the boundary between Banyjima and

Nyiyaparli native title claims. Tindale (1974:255) noted the Banyjima boundary as:

Upper plateau of the Hamersley Range south of the Fortescue River; east to

Weediwolli [sic] Creek near Marillana; south to Rocklea, on the upper

branches of Turee Creek east to the Kunderong Range. In the later years under

pressure form the Kurama, they moved eastward to Yandicoogina and the

Ophthalmia Range forcing the Niabali eastward. They also shifted south to

Turee and Prairie Downs driving out the Mandara tribe, now virtually extinct

[‘Punduwana], a native place not yet located, was their main refuge water in

Aboriginal Consultants Language Group

Greg Tucker Banyjima (Liaison Officer)

Marnmu Smyth Banyjima

Julie Pearce-Tucker Banyjima

Nellie Jones Banyjima

Susie Yuline Nyiyaparli

Hilda Flann Nyiyaparli

Denise Yuline Nyiyaparli

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very dry times; other refuges were in Dales Gorge and at [‘Mandjima]

(Mungina Creek on maps).

Tonkinson (1966:63) discusses the Nyiyaparli origins:

The original inhabitants of the area around Jigalong, including the station to

the north east, were the Njijabali, a group possessing cultural and linguistic

affinities with the Budijara, Gadudjara and related desert people to the east, but

at least as many ties with the more westerly groups… Most Njijabali were

attracted westwards to early European settlements along and beyond the

western fringes of their tribal area, even before Jigalong was established. Later,

almost all the remaining Njijabali followed suit, in response to the increasing

intrusion of their desert neighbours from the east

In 1926, Constable Edgar Morrow (1984:143) pursued two men from Prairie Downs

to Marillana Station. While he rested at ‘Willy Wolly springs’, his companion

suggested ‘that the natives would be at Pug Well, fifteen miles farther on, and five

miles from Marrilana [sic] Station’. Pug Well was used in as a Law Ground in living

memory. Morrow’s account is evidence of ‘a cultural landscape’ through the PI lease

from Weeli Wolli Springs along the creek to Marillana. Morrow continues:

‘It’s a big corroborree [sic] place,’ he said, ‘and it’s pinkeye time now, so likely

there’ll be a crowd camped there.’

… In the late afternoon we stopped in the shade of a ten-thousand gallon tank

beside a windmill. This was Pug Well. Two hundred yards away were dozens of

mia mias, and it was evident there were numerous natives camped there.’ 2

Referring to the boundaries of the Hamersley National Park, Lang Hancock, a man

with a vast local knowledge of the region once said: ‘[The park] didn’t include the

main beauty spots … they didn’t include a place near Weeli Wolli Springs … that’s

the sort of thing you’d think they would want to preserve from vandals’ (Duffield

1979:198-9). 2 See also handwritten report by Constable Morrow, Meekatharra 22/1/26. File 8446/1925.

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Plate 1: Tape marking archaeological site B07-02, in Billiards North, looking northeast.

4. Ethnographic Survey Methodology

On the morning of April 23rd, 2007, the consultants were briefed by Joel Deacon, the

Acting Superintendent of PI’s Development and Compliance Heritage Program,

before inspecting the upstream survey area, referred to as Billiards North (Map 1).

The party in two vehicles then followed Weeli Wolli Creek downstream along the

access track to the Weeli Wolli East and Weeli Wolli West Ethnographic Survey

Areas. Although it was not possible to examine these areas on foot, the Indigenous

Consultants agreed that there was no ethnographic objection to the areas being

included in the drilling program.

After driving into the creek, the Banyjima and Nyiyaparli consultants were surprised

to find water flowing from upstream in the usually dry creek bed at about GPS

(Datum GDA94, Zone50) 7473500 mN, 733000 mE (Plate 4). Downstream, a water

re-injection bore on the east bank was noted, in association with surface pipelines

(Plate 3). Finally, the group toured the Junction South East extensions to the Yandi

mine.

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During the ethnographic survey the consultants were reassured that the ‘exclusion

zone’ in Weeli Wolli Creek (see Day 2004a, 2004b, 2005a, 2005b, 2005c) would be

extended to the north and to the south to take in the full length of the creek within the

PI lease. As previously reported, the ‘exclusion zone’ is an area where drilling will

not occur (Day 2004b:10).

The ‘exclusion zone’ recognises the significance to Banyjima and Nyiyaparli people

of the Weeli Wolli Creek and environs, as has previously been recorded (O’Connor

1996; Bradshaw 1999)3. McDonald (2003a:8) writes: ‘It is also important to note that

the Panyjima and Nyiyaparli communities had also objected to plans to drill in the

Weeli Wolli and other creeks in the Yandicoogina area on a number of occasions’

(McDonald 2003b; McDonald and Grove 2003).

The 30 posts noted by Dias (2007) were not observed.4

Plate 2: Native Title Claimant Consultants at Site B07-01. Left to right: Hilda Flann, Denise Yuline, Susie Yuline, Marnmu Smyth, Julie Pearce-Tucker, Nellie Jones and Greg Tucker. 3 See the report by Jan Mayman, ‘The Lost Oasis,’ The Canberra Times (Forum Section), Saturday May 19th, 2007. 4 The Indigenous Consultants asked that fold up chairs be provided on future ethnographic surveys.

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5. Women’s Knowledge 5.1 Connection to country through conception

Many Banyjima and Nyiyaparli children are born away from their country but this

does not appear to lessen their connection to their traditional land. Susie Yuline

related how her granddaughter Denise was impregnated by a conception spirit that

came from Weeli Wolli Springs, near the survey area. ‘She got two kids from here,’

says Susie, ‘Little girl seen her here.’ Denise told how she was at Weeli Wolli Creek

to make a video with Curtin University: ‘When we came back, that little spirit came

all the way to the 12 Mile [Hedland Community]. The spirit went to Alma Gray

crying, “I’m looking for my mummy.” Alma said, “What’s your name?” And the

spirit baby said, “In-murra.” So Alma said, “You go to that camp.”’ Susie continued,

‘Alma is a witness – every baby got a witness. A [conception] spirit can go a long

way to find the right person, it still happens.’ Obviously, this is a connection to

country which is especially important to women.5

Susie and others’ connection to their country also comes from distinguishing bodily

features. Her brother Gordon is a kangaroo because he has a mark where the kangaroo

was shot at his conception. Susie was a fish caught by her uncle, indicated by a small

ear lobe, in the place where the fish was hooked. In these ways, traditional owners are

born with a knowledge of and connection to the land from where their mothers were

impregnated, even though they may be born some distance from the area. As the

women said, ‘They got the mark to prove it.’

5.2 Botanical Surveys

Marcia Langton (1998:9)6 described ‘the failure to recognise the critical relevance of

[indigenous knowledge systems] to sustainable environmental management.’ She

cites Michael Dodson: ‘

What I am suggesting is a partnership … between Western knowledge and

‘scientific’ approaches to land and environment management, and indigenous

knowledge and approaches. Such a partnership … should provide the basis for

sound, sustainable environmental management and protection. (Dodson

1996:26) 5 According to Susie Yuline the process is known as Guthulgar or Marili. 6 See also Deborah Bird Rose, Nourishing Terrains, 1996

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Similarly, the Indigenous Consultants stressed that the hunting, gathering, medicinal

and mythological knowledge of women should become a valued contribution to

botanical surveys. They expressed disappointment that the botanical ‘avoidance areas’

marked on Survey Map 2 had apparently been plotted without using the traditional

expertise of the native title claimants, in particular indigenous women. Although the

three circled areas are not within the survey which is the subject of this report, the

suggestion was made that botanists or ethno-botanists should conduct joint surveys

over a wider area with native title claimants. Several reasons were given to support

the incorporation of this knowledge into pre-mining reports:

• The Indigenous knowledge of local plants was being lost and needs to be preserved.

• Plants of value to native title claimants might be endangered. • The knowledge recorded would assist the production of native title Connection

Reports. • The knowledge might be eligible for intellectual copyright (eg in future

medicinal uses of native plants). • Seed collecting and regeneration of work areas could be part of the process. • Provides jobs and training for native title claimants. • To monitor the effects of water extraction and injection on vegetation around

mine sites and creeks.

6. Recommendations

• There are no ethnographic heritage objections to the proposed Pilbara Iron

drilling program at Billiards North and Weeli Wolli East and West.

• Approval is on the proviso that the ‘exclusion area’ along Weeli Wolli Creek

(as shown on Maps 1 and 2) will be extended along the creek to the northern

and southern boundaries of the Pilbara Iron lease.

• Native Title claimants should be involved in monitoring of drilling and other

preparatory works.

• Native Title claimants, in particular senior women, should be consulted in

surveys of flora and fauna.

• Dewatering and water re-injection research for Junction South East and

Billiards should be incorporated into a wider study of the effects of mining on

the Weeli Wolli Creek system.

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Plate 3: Water Re-injection Bore Number YRB003PM01 beside Weeli Wolli Creek between

Weeli Wolli East and Weeli Wolli West Survey areas.

Plate 4: Julie Pearce-Tucker inspects water flowing in Weeli Wolli Creek at the southern end of

Pilbara Iron’s Yandi lease, 23 April, 2007.

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7. References

Bradshaw E 1999 Report on the Weeli Wolli Ethnographic Site Complex, Options for Protection. Unpublished report for Hamersley Iron and Gumala Aboriginal Corporation.

Day, W B 2004a Ethnographic Survey of Possible Burial Site at P02175, Yandi Village Walk Trail and Billiards Drilling Project at Weeli Wolli Creek, Yandicoogina. Gumala Aboriginal Corporation and Hamersley Iron.

Day, W B 2004b Report of an Ethnographic Heritage Survey for Junction South East Extensions to Pilbara Iron’s Yandi Mine, Weeli Wolli Water Monitoring Bores and Quail Siding, Yandicoogina, Pilbara, Western Australia. Gumala Aboriginal Corporation and Pilbara Iron. Day, W B 2005a Report of an Ethnographic Heritage Survey of Junction South East Mine Expansion Areas at Pilbara Iron's Yandicoogina Mine, Western Australia. Prepared for Pilbara Iron and the Gumala Aboriginal Corporation. Day, W B 2005b Report of an Ethnographic Heritage Survey for Evaluation Drilling Programs, Mine Expansions and Water Monitoring at Junction South East and Billiards, Yandicoogina, Western Australia. Prepared for Pilbara Iron and the Gumala Aboriginal Corporation. Day W. B. 2005c Report of an Ethnographic Survey of the Yandi Access Road and Evaluation Drilling Areas at Billiards and Junction South West, including Junction Well. Prepared for Gumala Aboriginal Corporation and Pilbara Iron. Duffield, R 1979 Rouge Bull: the story of Lang Hancock, King of the Pilbara. Sydney: William Collins. Dias, A 2007 Draft of A Preliminary Advice of an Archaeological Survey of Yandi Billiards 2007 EDP. Archae-aus.

McDonald, E 2003a Draft Preliminary Report on the Ethnographic Survey of Billiards Drilling Project and Weeli Wolli Creek, Yandicoogina. Perth, WA: Ethnosciences.

McDonald, E 2003b Draft Report of a Community Consultative Process and an Ethnographic Survey for Aboriginal Sites Yandi Mine Expansion Development, Yandicoogina, Pilbara, Western Australia. Unpublished Report for Gumala Aboriginal Corporation and Hamersley Iron. McDonald, E 2003c Report of Archaeological Site Inspections and Ethnographic Consultation, 2003/2004 Yandicoogina Evaluation Drilling Program and Mine Expansion, Yandicoogina, Pilbara, Western Australia. Prepared for Hamersley Iron and Gumala Aboriginal Corporation.

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McDonald, E 2003d Letter to Ms S. Smalldon, Specialist Archaeologist, Hamersley Iron. February 3, 2003. McDonald, E and D Grove 2003 Draft Report of an Ethnographic Survey of the Yandi Evaluation Drilling Program, Yandicoogina, Pilbara, Western Australia. Prepared for Hamersley Iron and the Gumala Aboriginal Corporation.

Dodson, M 1996 ‘Indigenous peoples, social justice and rights to the environment.’ In Sultan et al, Ecopolotics IX Conference: Perspectives on Indigenous people’s management of the environment resources. Darwin: Northern Land Council. Langton, M 1998 Burning questions: emerging environmental issues for indigenous peoples in northern Australia. Darwin: NTU Centre for Indigenous Natural and Cultural Resource Management. Morrow, E 1984 The Law Provides. Victoria Park: Hesperian Press (reprint) O’Connor, R 1996 Report on Aboriginal Consultative Meetings and Ethnographic Surveys Pertaining to the Junction Deposit Mine Site and Yandicoogina to Marandoo Railway. Hamersley Iron. Rose, D B 1996 Nourishing terrains: Australian Aboriginal views of landscape and wilderness. Canberra: Australian Heritage Commission. Tindale, N B 1974 Aboriginal Tribes of Australia: the terrain, environmental controls, distribution, limits and proper names. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Tonkinson, R 1966 Social Structure and Accumulation of Aborigines in the Western Desert, Unpublished MA thesis, University of Western Australia. Tonkinson, B. and Veth P. 1986 Report of a survey for Aboriginal sites in the vicinity of Yandicoogina Creek, Pilbara, North-west Australia. Unpublished Report. Turner, J 1990 ‘We Womans Really Knows a Lot’: Aboriginal Gender Relations in Contemporary Organisational Negotiations, Roebourne, Western Australia. MA Thesis. Department of Anthropology, University of Western Australia.