A group of traditional Ngunnawal owners have taken advantage of the 30th anniversary of Mabo’s decision to announce their intention to file a native title claim over the entire ACT and parts of NSW.
Ngunawal Nation’s Traditional Owners Network Group spokeswoman Sonia Shea said Mabo Day was a “significant day” to announce the group’s intention to “guarantee our culture, rights and interests through the Act. of the native title “.
There were previous native title applications submitted to the ACT in 1996 and 1997, which were withdrawn in 2001 when the ACT government and the people of Ngunnawal reached an agreement on a 99-year joint management special lease for Namadgi National Park.
At a press conference this afternoon, the group said that anthropological research is currently being carried out on their genealogical links with the limit over which they intended to claim.
Ms. Shea said that once completed, the group would complete the process.
“We have over 300 families registered within our group and we have been working together on this for a number of years, working for the rights and interests of our people, the traditional owners of Ngunnawal in this country where we are today. “. she said.
The group has also acquired legal representation.
Ngunnawal man Bradley Mapiva Brown said the ancestral group had occupied the area for about 60,000 years.
Brown said some of the group’s “key principles” include “preserving the sovereign and Ngunnawal’s identity” and protecting its boundaries.
He said they also sought to protect Ngunnawal culture and heritage for future generations.
More to come.
Posted 29 minutes ago, 29 minutes ago, Friday, June 3, 2022 at 3:19 AM, last updated on Friday, June 3, 2022 at 3:47 AM