Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Special to ICT
Around the world: An Aboriginal activist is on a new postage stamp in Australia, First Nations people in Canada question a mining project, government policy allows invaders to seize land in Brazil, rare warru are being returned to outback Australia by Indigenous rangers, and Indigenous communities join efforts to develop ecotourism
AUSTRALIA: First Aboriginal knight celebrated on new stamp
Sir Douglas Nicholls — who in 1972 became the first Aboriginal person to be knighted by the British empire — is being honored 50 years later with his portrait featured on an Australian postage stamp, National Indigenous Television reported on July 6.
The Yorta Yorta man, who died in 1988 at age 81, was a professional athlete, pastor and Aboriginal rights activist who spent decades working with his wife, Gladys, in helping Aboriginal people. He also became the first non-White person to serve as governor of an Australian state when, in 1976, when he was appointed governor of South Australia.
The stamp was unveiled at a ceremony on Tuesday, July 5, at a statue of Nicholls and his wife in Parliament Gardens, East Melbourne, in the midst of weeklong celebrations by the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee, known as NAIDOC Week. It was released publicly on Wednesday, July 6.
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“NAIDOC Week provides an opportunity for us to learn about First Nations cultures and histories,” said Michael Zsolt, philatelic manager for the Australia Post Group, the government postal system. “The release of this important stamp celebrates Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls and highlights his significant contribution to society.”
The stamp developed from a request from Bev Murray, Nicholls’ granddaughter, with help from his daughter, Aunty Pam Pederson.
“My grandparents were incredible people, and I am proud to walk in their footprints and continue their great work in advancing the rights of our people and supporting the most vulnerable,” Murray told NITV.
“They are two amazing elders who should never be forgotten.”
CANADA: First Nations question open-pit mining project
A ruling by Canada’s federal and territorial governments to proceed with BMC Minerals’ proposed Kudz Ze Kayah mining project is raising concerns among the Kaska Dena First Nations that they were not meaningfully consulted on the project, APTN News reported on July 8.
If given final approval, the $381-million, open-pit mineral mine is expected to generate annually about 7.8 million ounces of silver and 235 million pounds of zinc from an area that is at the heart of the winter range for the Finlayson caribou herd, an important food source for the Kaska people.
In the Kaska language, Kudz Ze Kayah means “Caribou Country.”
“We were pretty shocked to hear that decision,” said Chief Dylan Loblaw of the Ross River Dena Council, a small First Nation in Ross River about 215 miles northeast of Whitehorse, according to APTN News.
“Our cultural values are not being seen or heard.”
The mine would operate in traditional territories of the Ross River Dena Council and the Liard First Nation, another Kaska community of Watson Lake.
The caribou herd has dwindled in numbers in the last few decades, dropping from about 6,000 animals in 1990 to about 2,700, according to a report from the Yukon government.
“We’re definitely worried about the Finlayson caribou herd,” Loblaw told APTN News. “I think they’re already listed as a species of special concern.”
Allan Nixon, BMC’s vice president of external affairs, said in a statement that the company has always recognized the Kaska peoples’ views and made attempts to address their concerns.
“We remain committed to ensuring Kaska are true partners in the development of the project and we will continue to work closely with Kaska to ensure a successful project for everyone,” he said, according to APTN News.
BRAZIL: Government policy allows invaders to seize lands
Invaders in Brazil have seized control of more than 620,000 acres of farms in the territories of 49 Indigenous peoples across the country under a 2020 government policy that allows private properties to be registered inside Indigenous lands that had not yet been officially documented, Mongabay.com reported on July 7.
The state of Maranhão has been affected most deeply, with 360,000 acres of farmland registered within Indigenous reserves. The Porquinhos Indigenous Territory, home to the Apãnjekra Canela people, is the worst hit, with 170,000 acres of land registered to invaders, Mongabay.com reported.
The so-called Funai regulation, which went into effect on April 16, 2020, is part of President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration’s wider rejection of efforts to distinguish Indigenous lands. It has led to loss of lands even in states with legalized Indigenous territories, including Mato Grosso, Pará and Roraima.
Maranhão overlaps the Cerrado and Amazon biomes and is home to a fast-growing soy industry, according to Mongabay.com.
“In practice, the government is saying that these areas are not Indigenous lands,” said Rafael Modesto, a legal adviser with the Indigenist Missionary Council, an Indigenous rights activism group associated with the Catholic Church.
“The government has created a problem for itself, because it will have to remove the intruders, which is always a battle,” Modesto said.
AUSTRALIA: Rare warru returning to outback Australia
Indigenous rangers on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in South Australia have helped release three endangered female warru – black-footed wallabies – to Maku Valley and Hinkley in southern Australia, the National Indigenous Times reported on July 10.
Deemed one of South Australia’s most threatened mammal species, warru can be found along rocky ridges and in caves across western and southwestern Australia, the Northern Territory and parts of South Australia.
The small, pouched mammal has been considered endangered by the Australian government since 2016.
APY Ranger Oska Mills said climate change and the presence of predatory species such as cats and foxes have led to a decrease in the warru population.
In May, Warru Rangers released three female warru and in September 2021, they released six, bringing to 14 the number of warru moved to help the population in the Tomkinson Ranges.
MEXICO: Ecotourism attracts tourists who care
Indigenous and local communities in Central Mexico are working together to develop ecotourism to attract visitors interested in the environment, Mongabay.com reported on July 6.
The alliance was formed in 2020 by the Mexican Civil Council for Sustainable Forestry, a non-governmental agency that has worked in the area for about 20 years. The efforts include creation of the Board of Coordinated Indigenous Peoples for the Forest and Tourism, which oversees nearly 20,000 acres of forests in the Amanalco-Valle de Bravo region of Mexico.
“There were more and more visitors coming to this area and the communities had an interest to develop tourism activities, but their offering was always similar – huts and ziplines,” said Andrés Juárez, coordinator for the Amanalco region at the civil council, according to Mongabay.com.
“The alarms went off because those tourists don’t care about the forest or the community resources,” he said.
Apart from creating jobs, the communities want to promote a type of tourism that combines conservation of forests, lakes and waterfalls.
Final thoughts
In my final thoughts, I would like to congratulate the family of Sir Doug Nicholls who became the first Aboriginal person to be knighted in 1972 and whose portrait now, 50 years later, is being on an Australian postage stamp. Although I applaud Australia Post for the gesture, surely they shouldn’t have waited 50 years to do the right thing. Let others who deserve to be honored be honored sooner rather than later.
And lastly, let me share Article 46 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Article 46
1. Nothing in this declaration may be interpreted as implying for any state, people, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act contrary to the Charter of the United Nations or construed as authorizing or encouraging any action which would dismember or impair, totally or in part, the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent States.
2. In the exercise of the rights enunciated in the present declaration, human rights and fundamental freedoms of all shall be respected. The exercise of the rights set forth in this declaration shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law and in accordance with international human rights obligations. Any such limitations shall be non-discriminatory and strictly necessary solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for meeting the just and most compelling requirements of a democratic society.
3. The provisions set forth in this declaration shall be interpreted in accordance with the principles of justice, democracy, respect for human rights, equality, non-discrimination, good governance and good faith.
Global Indigenous is a weekly news roundup published every Wednesday by Indian Country Today with some of the key stories about Indigenous peoples around the world.
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