The name is absent

273

both to mining interests and to those governments that give
♦

precedence to mining activities over the rights of the traditional
owners of the land.

In the seventies and early eighties. mining, particularly in
⅞                                                                              4

Western Australia, was one of the most buoyant areas in the economy.
In 1980, Court, the Premier of Western Australia, denied the rights
of the people to prevent mining on areas that contained sacred
*
sites.

⅝

• ∙ * ■ ∙

He gave police protection to heavy machinery moving into
1
Noonkanbah .

Resistance to the Amax mining company was thus also resistance
to the Western Australian Government.

The history of European/Aboriginal contact is one where Aborigines
were moved off tribal lands (and hence made dependent} as settlers
needed to expand their enterprises. The expectation of mining`-eompanies
is that this will continue to happen.
*

The battle for justice in Land Rights today is the major issue
of confrontation between black and white. The autonomy of Aboriginal
groups in all their affairs, but especially in controlling access to
their sacred sites, rests on a fragile base decided by white self-
interest.

In this area, cultural and political viability are entwined.

However, in so far as cultural viability can be separated out, it
would appear to depend on the continued successful socialization of
youth into the psychological model of the Mob, a model centred on
the conservation of the Law.

See p. 178.

<<   320   321   322   323   324   325   326   >>

More intriguing information