Martu United Survey |
Introduction
Jamukurnu-Yapalikurnu Aboriginal Corporation negotiated the Karlkayn Stage 1 Agreement with Rio Tinto. This agreement allows Rio Tinto to use a gravel airstrip in the Martu Determinations. The name of that airstrip, decided by Martu, is Karlkayn.
Under the agreement, Rio Tinto will pay $1.5 million for ‘cultural preservation activities’ into the Jamukurnu-Yapalikurnu Trust, which is run by Martu United.
Once this money is spent there is no more money available.
Martu United is consulting with Martu across the Pilbara to ask what you want to happen with that money.
Martu came up with four possible ideas:
- Put the money towards a building in one of the remote communities (Parnngurr, Punmu or Kunawarritji) for keeping artefacts and knowledge for teaching future generations.
- Run school holiday camps at the remote communities where Elders are paid a salary to teach young people lore and culture.
- Buy 4WDs for a few Martu to get to lore ceremonies and take young people with them.
- Buy 4WD buses for six communities, so that it's easier for people living in remote communities to get to lore ceremonies and funerals.
What can Martu get with the money?
$1.5 million sounds like a lot of money, but it doesn’t buy very much. For example, to build one new four-bedroom house in one of the remote communities would cost more than $1.5 million.
So, looking at the four options Martu thought about, the money could get:
- Part of a keeping place/museum - we would have to get contributions from other places like government and Lotterywest. This is possible.
- One school holiday camp per year for three or four years, or two per year for two years - it’s possible we could get government and sponsorship support to make this last for longer.
- Fifteen 4WDs suitable for safe transport - we won't be able to get support for more than this.
- Four or five 4WD buses - we could possibly get government or sponsorship support to get a few more.
What do you think should happen with this money?
Members discussed these options at a general meeting, but there there are about 3,000 Martu and we want to make sure we listen to as many as possible.
Please number the boxes below with number 1 being your first choice. You can number one box or more in order of your choices.
- A keeping place to store artefacts and for education.
- School camps with Elders paid to teach young people.
- 4WDs for 5 Elders, 5 men and 5 women (15 people).
- 4WD buses for communities to use.