The name is absent

195

Tonkinson found IlO out of 500 people from Jigalong identifying

themselves as part of the Strelley Mob. A different view of his
findings would be that Mandjildjara speakers had migrated to join
t                                 I

other Mandjildjara speakers, since within the language they find

the true expression of the Law, and that this is a truer expression
of autonomy than a unity imposed by spatial agglomeration.

Territory is the second factor of continuity listed by

Sorokin.

The territory on which the Strelley Mob lives is not their own
traditional tribal territory. Various stations have been bought or
leased as this becomes possible-. Each station is accessible to
the other. The people are deeply aware of the importance of
territory as a vehicle of meaning for Aboriginal groups. They
zealously protect the nearby sacred areas of other groups
(Mikurrunya, 2.1O.79).

In the well-publicised confrontation of the people from
Noonkanbah and the Amax Company in 1980, the Strelley Mob gave a
great deal of moral support to the Noonkanbah Mob, and were arrested
for obstructing the passage of heavy machinery (Mikurrunya, 23.4.80,
21. 8.80). They saw the confrontation clearly as one threatening
the identity of the Noonkanbah group through the encroachment of
the mining group on their sacred land.

In the case of the Strelley Mob, while the land they own is
not their oιm tribal land, nevertheless it has become a vehicle of
identity since it has become an integral part of their history.

ɪstrelle/, Carlindi and Callawa were bought from pooled community
funds. Warralong and Coongan are leasehold properties held by the
Aboriginal Development Commission and operated by Strelley Pastoral
Pty. Ltd., a company owned by the Strelley Mob.

<<   233   234   235   236   237   238   239   >>

More intriguing information