Get off his high horse
25/9/08
As both chairperson of the Indigenous Land Corporation and an indigenous woman, I am disappointed Peter Dowding (”Indigenous Land Corp `just like white owners’ ” 23/9) has made unsubstantiated, untrue and insulting comments about the traditional owners of Waliburru and about the ILC’s activities in the pastoral industry.
The ILC has purchased 221 properties since 1995 totalling more than five million hectares, of which the ILC only leases two as pastoral businesses to provide indigenous training and employment. It also leases another two cattle properties in the Northern Territory under the NT Land Rights Act, one of those being Waliburru Station, the subject of a feature story in The Australian (”Cattlemen muster pride”, 22/9). The ILC does not require any indigenous landholder to lease its land to the ILC before it will provide land management assistance. In fact, in Dowding’s home state of Western Australia, in the past three years the ILC has approved $4 million to 18 pastoral properties for development work and the purchase of livestock. It also approved $2.5 million for the provision of technical expertise and training for 20 properties through joint West Australian Government and ILC programs. All of these properties are indigenous-owned and operated.
In relation to Mount Welcome, contrary to Dowding’s allegations, the ILC has never requested it be leased to the corporation and the ILC has no intention of seeking a lease.
Unlike Dowding, I have visited Waliburru on a number of occasions and have seen the pride and joy in the people who are now operating a successful pastoral operation equal to any in Australia. Let him go to Waliburru and try to tell the traditional owners that they are wrong. A few of the ringers might not too politely tell him to get off his high horse. Shirley McPherson; Chairperson, Indigenous Land Corporation
The Australian; No Internet Text
“Indigenous Land Corp `just like white owners’ ” 23/9; http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24393703-5013404,00.html
Tags: Aboriginal, Australia, Reconciliation, Workers