The Red Dirt – The Home of Truth

I was fortunate to be involved in the PNG GAS Project from 1997 until 2001, An immense and strategic project to bring natural gas via pipeline from the Central Highlands of PNG across the Torres Strait and down the inland of Queensland to Gladstone.

This involved an easement traversing large areas of land important to at least 20 first nations groups plus local tribes in PNG.

A tentative easement was designed by Chevron as lead proponent of the joint venture which identified many environmental and cultural heritage issues.

Accordingly, the project team decided it needed intimate information from those who knew the land to determine a final route across all areas.

After personal discussion with Noel Pearson, it was decided to establish a consultation mechanism with all relevant peoples with a connection to the proposed easement route.

Accordingly, we established a group of traditional owners (mainly elders) who met monthly in regional cities – Cairns, Townsville, Cooktown, Aurukun, Gladstone etcetera to discuss and to endeavor to address the relevant issues. These meetings were attended by as many as 150 depending on location and were managed by Michael Lavarch, ex Attorney General (in the Keating Government).

The information generated was both informative and revealing. It covered environmental, heritage and history issues related to matters ‘on country’.

It resulted in a Heads of Agreement signed by all the relevant elders in Cairns in October 1997 – see photo above. A magic moment entitled Bridging The Gap.

Personal interaction occurred in the red dirt at Aurukun (see photo), at Elim Beach with members of the Guugu Yimithir mob (see photo), at the reenactment of the first arrival of white fellas at Pennefather River in 1606 (see photo), and at lunch breaks during monthly gatherings. I learnt about ceremony, health, education and ritual issues and numerous examples of the ‘stolen generation’ – so, is that where ‘Aunty Jean’ went?

Aurukun.

Elim Beach.

Pennefather River. Linguist Terry Crowley in his 1981 paper, ‘The Mpakwithi dialect of Anguthimri’, wrote that he was given the name ‘tidini’ for the Pennefather River by his Mpakwithi informant, Donald Fletcher.

Huli mob in Central Highland at Kutubu.

A month or so later a joint celebration with First Nation mobs and PNG Highlanders was held in Cairns where Noel Pearson made some telling comments about the process including:

“There is something absolutely liberating about being involved in private enterprise. Chevron Community meetings are not like ATSIC meetings. I have seen the excitement and the faith at these meetings – it is a process I wish we were more involved in elsewhere. These government processes ultimately tear us down, it is about the scraps we can get off the table. But this project is of benefit for Queensland and is absolutely huge for PNG. 

 It is a massive fillip for the people of PNG – even if Aboriginal people did not get anything from this, it is a great thing for PNG. The great thing is that people on both sides of the line…there are indigenous people taking a leading role.  

The dilemma for Aboriginal people is that we have one foot in traditional society and one in the modern world. The story of indigenous people in Australia is of all the opportunities that we have not been involved in which revolve around the dilemma of traditional values and modern society.  

We have to have two faces – one committed to making money like white fellas make money. There is only one way, it is the way whitefellas have invented. We have to find a way of making money like whitefellas and spending it like blackfellas. When we accumulate advantages, we distribute according to our traditional values. 

That is the challenge. How can we participate in the front line of business and preserve our traditional and social values? Whitefellas worry about the individual – we have to worry about the whole mob. We have to ensure the advantages are spread through the whole mob – not to make them lazy, but to make them more energetic. 

I think that is what John Powell is about when he refers to the children and the future.”

So where does that lead me to?

This is a prime example of the Voice! Consult, engage, listen, hear and deliver the important elements that the First Nations peoples need for their communities.

GET INTO THE RED DIRT, VOTE YES!