FMG liable for trashing Yindjibarndi Religious Practices
23 May, 201324 May 2013 On Thursday 23 May, in reference to Fortescue’s infrastructure sale, The Australian Financial Review reported “one of the issues to emerge is whether final approvals have been met on its $5 billion debt deal”; and, “It is understood Fortescue had 270 days to get final approval from stakeholders, including traditional owners, in order ...Fortescue dirty tricks claim two more heads
15 March, 2013Fortescue dirty tricks claim two more headsCause to come home
13 February, 201313 February 2012 Yindjibarndi Federal Court win On 12 February, Federal Court Justice, Neil McKerracher, handed down a decision that validated the vote of the Yindjibarndi people to authorise a new and unified Applicant group of twelve Yindjibarndi men and women to run the Yindjibarndi #1 Claim—this includes the Area of vacant crown land where Fortescue Metals Group ...Truth is the Best Defense
13 February, 2013Yindjibarndi Federal Court win Bid to shut down voice of the National Indigenous Times Yesterday justice was served in the Federal Court when the voice of the majority of the Yindjibarndi People was affirmed. The court authorised a Yindjibarndi plebiscite, of 24 March 2012, which elected 12 Applicants who unequivocally support the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC); and ...WMYAC documents confirm Michael Gallagher is FMG’s inside-man
12 February, 2013Media Statement Tuesday 12 February 2013 WMYAC documents confirm Michael Gallagher is FMG’s “inside-man” Internal documents, including minutes, invoices and correspondence from Wirlu-murra Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (WMYAC) by WMYAC Chairman Bruce Woodley, confirm Michael Gallagher’s effective role ...Yindjibarndu want solution to FMG Debacle
29 November, 2012A statement from Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) in response to revelations by another whistleblower, Yindjibarndi Elder Bruce Woodley, Chairman of the Wirlu-Murra Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (WMYAC), regarding FMG interference in, and manipulation of Yindjibarndi native title affairs.Yindjibarndi Answer FMG/Wirlu-Murra Weasel Words.
8 November, 2012Both FMG and their client splinter group, the Wirlu-murra, have issued statements to the National Indigenous Times (NIT) dodging evidence of grave misconduct and skulduggery. In this week’s NIT , the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) sets the record straight in a close examination of FMG’s multiple evasions, and rebuttal of Wirlu-murra’s mudslinging. Read the full Yindjibarndi reply ...FMG ‘Declassified’ Then Destroyed Yindjibarndi Heritage Sites
10 September, 2012confirmation in documents released by the Department of Indigenous Affairs (DIA), under the Freedom of Information Act, that FMG has destroyed two Yindjibarndi sites and damaged a third at Solomon with impunity, and has “under-reported” sites in the project area by about 30%. Download this Media statement as a doc DOWNLOAD Chronology/Digest Of Key Facts From ...Yindjibarndi Plebiscite Rejects FMG Meddling
28 August, 2012“After two years of meddling and attacks against us in the courts, the overwhelming support of our people in recent meetings is a win for Yindjibarndi people-power against the divisive and under-handed tactics of FMG. I hope the Yindjibarndi voice in both these meetings sends a message to Fortescue, and they come back to us ...Federal Court Highlights FMG Liability at Solomon
16 August, 2012The Federal Court has declared that a determination of native title in favour of the Yindjibarndi People over the land affected by Fortescue Metals Group’s (FMG) Solomon Project may expose FMG to a liability to pay compensation to the Yindjibarndi People for any impairment of their native title rights and for any social disruption caused ...PRIMARY DOCUMENTS MINISTER COLLIER’S BACK FLIP
21 December, 2011SUMMARY: On 30 June 2011 the Minister responsible for protection of Aboriginal heritage in WA, Mr Peter Collier, gave FMG consent to commence mining in Yindjibarndi country at the Solomon Project, but attached several fundamental conditions, recommended to him by the Aboriginal Cultural Materials Committee (ACMC), which gave some assurance that Yindjibarndi heritage would be properly ...State back flips on FMG Conditions
19 December, 2011Last Tuesday, the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Peter Collier, reneged on an earlier commitment to hold Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) accountable for identification and protection of Yindjibarndi heritage in the path of its Solomon Project mine. After FMG demanded that critical conditions of his consent be deleted, Minister Collier complied, clearing the way for wholesale ...Yindjibarndi Donation Appeal
11 December, 2011WE ARE NOW LAUNCHING INTO A MORE PROACTIVE AND CHALLENGING PHASE OF OUR CAMPAIGN, FOR WHICH WE NEED YOUR HELP EVEN MORE URGENTLYFMG imposes “apartheid-like” rules on Yindjibarndi visits to country
8 December, 2011Read full statement Having acquired a limited right to mine in Yindjibarndi country, FMG is now demanding that Yindjibarndi people stay out of their traditional country and apply to FMG ‘managers’ for permission in writing to enter.Conduct Of Native Title Lawyer Ron Bower Outrages Yindjibarndi Community
30 November, 2011The WA Supreme Court heard on Monday that veteran native title lawyer, Ron William Bower, of Perth legal firm Corser & Corser, and one of his clients, “pressured” an elderly Yindjibarndi woman into signing an Interlocutory Injunction Application seeking to stop the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) AGM going ahead this week.Read full reportWhat have FMG got to hide?
27 November, 2011FMG block Yindjibarndi cameras for “safety” reasonsFULL STATEMENT ATTACHEDWA Heritage Crisis Deepens – FMG threat to sue State
22 November, 2011Read More The Yindjibarndi People have appealed to the Hon. Tony Burke (Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) to use his power under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act to make an emergency declaration to stop FMG doing more irretrievable damage. “The tragedy is that every moment spent waiting for Mr ...Yindjibarndi message to FMG investors
8 November, 2011Michael Woodley, CEO of Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation, and a dozen traditional owners from Roebourne, and friends, will be holding a peaceful vigil outside the AGM this Wednesday morning. READ OUR MESSAGE READ FULL STATEMENTUnlawful FMG heritage dealing & massive sites damage at Solomon Project
6 November, 2011Download FULL PRESS RELEASE The Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) is calling on Federal Minister, Tony Burke, to invoke emergency powers to stop the destruction by Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) of Yindjibarndi sacred sites and ‘living heritage’ areas that date back thousands of years. YAC has received evidence showing FMG forced heritage consultants to change a heritage report ...Yindjibarndi sites at FMG’s Firetail/Solomon in peril
25 October, 2011FMG POISED TO DESTROY SANCTUARY OF ANCESTRAL BURIALS – YINDJIBARNDI DEMAND INDEPENDENT SITES INVESTIGATION READ THE FULL STATEMENTYindjibarndi website brought down by cyber attack… and restored!
14 September, 2011Read full press release 14 Sep 2011On Monday night the website of Roebourne-based Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) was disabled by a “Distributed Denial of Service” (DDoS) attack. The site was down for 48 hours before being restored by Hosting Engineers at the Westnet Network Operations Centre late on Wednesday afternoon.When the ground is hard, Yindjibarndi dance
14 September, 2011For a year now, we Yindjibarndi people of the Pilbara have been suffering a split in our community engineered with terrible outcomes by the Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) who intend to mine Yindjibarndi country. Despite having Native Title to our homelands, and despite showing Australian courts and the Native Title Tribunal that the Yindjibarndi people ...ANDREW FORREST’S RACIAL SLUR REFERRED TO HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
17 August, 2011Read this Press release 17 Aug 2011 A complaint by five Roebourne women has been lodged with the Australian Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) following a statement by FMG chairman and largest shareholder, Andrew Forrest, that “little girls” are approaching men in Roebourne late at night and offering sexual services in exchange for the ...Miners get stacked deck claim Yindjibarndi
15 August, 2011Download Press release 15 August 2011 On 12 August the Full Federal Court handed down its decision rejecting a challenge by the Yindjibarndi People against the grant of three mining leases to Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) for its Solomon Hub project. YAC advises that it is seeking advice about appealing this decision by the Federal Court to ...FMG Solomon Mining Lease Fact sheet
10 August, 2011Download this Fact Sheet Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) has made a number of statements in recent weeks regarding the status of their Solomon Hub project. Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation, as the chosen representative body of the Yindjibarndi People states its position in this fact sheet.Yindjibarndi reject FMG’s return to ‘dark ages of paternalism’
28 July, 2011Download this press release 29 July 2011Following in Mr Forrest’s footsteps, Mr Power said that FMG would never agree to a royalty deal like Rio Tinto has made with many of our neighbours because he thinks its not going to do any good for our community. Yindjibarndi reject FMG’s return to the ‘dark ages of Aboriginal ...Forrest ties social ills to royalties dispute
27 July, 2011Two new newspaper articles this time from the Pilbara News of the 27 July 2011. Read State rejects role in row Read Forrest ties social ills to royaltiesRoebourne community demands apology for Forrest’s slur of Roebourne girls
20 July, 2011Download Press Release 20 July 2011It seems Mr Forrest needs to tell stories of ‘depravity’ in Aboriginal communities, so he can put himself forward as the ‘humanitarian’ philanthropist who will rescue Aboriginal people from themselves – all the while dispossessing traditional owners of the rights they are due from their ancestral lands. The community of Roebourne ...Yindjibarndi call on WA Government to appoint mediator in dispute with FMG
18 July, 2011Download Yindjibarndi Media Release 18 July 2011 The Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) is calling on the State Government to step in to help end the bitter dispute between the Yindjibarndi people and iron ore producer FMG over a proposed multi billion dollar mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The parties have so far failed to reach what ...NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award to our most senior Yindjibarndi leader and knowledge carrier, Ned Cheedy
14 July, 2011Download Press Release. Yindjibarndi elder, 106 year old Ned Cheedy of Roebourne, was awarded the most prestigious NAIDOC prize, the Lifetime Achievement Award, on Friday night at the national NAIDOC awards in Sydney. His daughters Jane and Marion accepted the award on his behalf to a standing ovation, and with tears of joy…Highest NAIDOC honour to Ned Cheedy
10 July, 2011Download Press Release. The most prestigious NAIDOC prize, the Lifetime Achievement Award, has been awarded to Ned Cheedy, a respected elder and custodian of Yindjibarndi country, where he was born a century ago at Hooley Station on Cheedy Creek in Western Australia.No faith in procedural fairness of Conflicted Minister and ACMC
8 June, 2011After admissions last week by WA Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Peter Collier, that he “takes great guidance” from his “close personal friend” Andrew Forrest, Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation fear that the procedural fairness and independence of the Minister’s office with regard to heritage decisions have been compromised. Download Press release 8 June 2011Corporate Promises Hide Native Title Swindle
13 April, 2011For the Yindjibarndi people country means Ngurra or home, and all the language, law, songs and spiritual belonging that come to us from tens of thousands of years. Country in the Pilbara south of Roebourne is our home. We have a deep ancestral connection to the land. And, with that we have a responsibility to make sure ...FMG supresses video.
13 April, 2011A response from Vimeo has been received in regards to the removal of the video “FMG’s Great Native Title Swindle” Download our press release 13 April 2011FMG tries to strong-arm traditional Yindjibarndi community
21 March, 2011An agreement which allows Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) to do anything, anytime, anywhere it wants, on the traditional country of the Yindjibarndi People – but which prohibits the Yindjibarndi from ever claiming compensation, if FMG’s future activities prevent them exercising their legally determined land rights – was the subject of an extraordinary meeting held in ...The Bastardry of the Native Title Act
30 January, 2011A summary indicating why current Federal and State laws governing Aboriginal heritage and native title, which are so readily exploited by companies like FMG, ‘have no clothes’. Also see: State & Miners against Aboriginal FuturesPOWERFUL PRECEDENT: Court overturns Minister
18 January, 2011While a Minister’s approval for destruction of Aboriginal heritage in South Australia has been overturned, there is a disturbing pattern in the way that Western Australian State Ministers wield their executive power for the benefit of their friends, the miners, and against the cultural future of Aboriginal people – and get away with it! Download: State ...
e-Bulletins
Andrew Forrest’s racism of low expectations YeB 18-07-11
FMG gags Yindjibarndi video YeB 13-04-11
FMG tries to strong-arm traditional Yindjibarndi community YeB 21-03-11
FMG’s Great Native Title Swindle YeB 04-04-11
heartbreak or happiness YeB 11-07-11
No faith in procedural fairness YeB 8-06-11
Rare glimpse behind the scenes YeB 15-07-11
Yindjibarndi e-BULLETIN 19-04-11
i would like to pass on to Mr Ned Cheedy my best wishes & greetings to him. I feel so blessed to have seen an Elder with so much wisdom & knowledge about him. It was when i looked into his eye’s that I seen the complete & deep passion he holds such a love for his land & people. My father spoke as he frequented the N.T many times when i was young & would tell me stories of dream time & other tales,he loved so much about the people who he stayed with,there were many Aboriginal communities that he became friends with…When i seen the footage of the native title with twiggy & his total lack of respect for Mr Ned Cheedy, I was angry, i thought that if he had grown up around these area’s how could he be so disrespectful to such an awe Inspiring Elder. i was just wondering ,if you could please pass a message on to Mr Ned Cheedy. My father taught me how to love your land & to trust your people, I have sided with you & will for ever be by you. I am an honest person who loves the Mother Earth & do not want to see it destroyed any more than you do.I am sure you take good care of your land & people. I only know when I saw you in that video clip,my heart was with you from that moment & to all the people who surround you with such love & devotion. I feel & have been dreaming of my father of late & I know what he is saying to me. to stand & be determined as I have always been. The Mother earth & all the animals, sacred spots & many years of generations you have seen are not just something you can buy.It is Your Land as The First True Australians. How can you by a Mother,nature,heritage ,culture & all th e wonder that lies within. Please Mr Ned Cheedy, do not despair. They will continue to be many more generations to come & play & your culture & heritage & all you hold so dear & sacred will be with them. Dear Mr Ned Cheedy. You have my heart,my love & my respect. I wish you well. You will always & forever be in my heart,love, light & rainbows to you Moya Barton.
As an Adnyamathanha person from the Flinders Ranges region in SA I wish to express my greatest solidarity with those Traditional Owners who are suffering the consequences of Native Title and the greed that it has created; it’s so ironic to think that success in lodging a Native Title claim is all about proving an ongoing connection to land, yet the people in positions of power are responsible for selling off our precious sites, all for a bit of blood money. I feel the alliance between government and mining industry in this country is stripping our humanrights as Indigenous peoples and perpetuating economic assimilation. All across this nation, there are Traditional Owners in the same predicament. We must somehow stay strong, and work together when possible.