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The committees set up by Government are rejected as either harming
the people, or not representing the people.
The marmgu affirm their
autonomy in theorizing about the self-
appointed role and the government-appointed role of the marta marta
(the part-European) to be spokesman for the marrngu.
In particular the marrngu theorize that the marta marta take
a role to themselves that belongs to tribal people - a role that
takes away even the power of the marta marta since the latter
subordinate themselves to Government and Government policy.
On the question of land treaties, Don, Jacob and
Snowy said that they believed the marta marta did
not represent the marrngu of Western Australia.
They said it was a group of marta marta elected
by marta marta and working for the government (Mikurrunya,
23.4.80).
13.6 Theorizing about Government and Land Rights
Moreover the traditional people theorized that the allocation
of land by the Aboriginal Lands Trust went contrary to tribal Law
in that it was allocated to non-tribal, non-initiated people who
no longer had the right to it.
There is a dispute between traditional owners of
land across Roebuck Bay from Broome and the Aboriginal
LandsTrust. Uninitiated men who do not have any
right under marrngu law have been given permission
by the Lands Trust to occupy sacred land.
The Strelley Mob will be supporting the traditional
owners in their fight to have their rights recognized
by the Lands Trust (Mikurrunya, 27.2.81).
The theorizing of tribal people in their fight against further
usurpation and desecration of their lands forms a uniting bond. The
events connected with Amax mining moving on to sacred sites in 1979/1980
were strongly resisted and formed a basis for a restatement of the
Law.
Aborigines from all over the Kimberleys and the
Pilbara gathered at Noonkanbah last week in an
attempt to prevent the Amax mining company from
drilling on the station. The mining company