The Mirrar people are the legal title holders to the area surrounding and including the Ranger and Jabiluka Mineral Leases in Kakadu National Park. They steadfastly oppose the Jabiluka Uranium Mine proposal.
The Jabiluka
deposit is located adjacent to the floodplain of the Magella Creek, a
tributary of the East Alligator River in Kakadu National Park, in the
Northern Territory. It is 230 km east of Darwin and just 20 km north
of Jabiru, beneath an escarpment outlier about 20kms north of the
existing Ranger mine and near the tourist route to the ancient
Aboriginal Ubirr rock art sites.
The Mirrar believe that the Australian Government supports mining at the expense of their very existence.
For the latest information, go to http://www.anawa.org.au/nt/jabiluka.html
Uranium levels detected in January 2002 in the Swift Creek downstream of the Jabiluka mine site - which is now in standby mode, rose up to six times above levels upstream of the mine. This is the first sign that contaminated water at the Jabiluka site could be tainting pristine water systems in the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park. (The Australian, March 6, 2002)
Dear Friends:
We write to you because we believe that you understand and care about the destruction of the earth that is currently taking place for the profits of mining.
We are Australians. We write on behalf of the earth that we live on.
Our government is presently allowing the wholesale mining of Uranium in World Heritage, Kakadu National Park. Kakadu is sacred land.
Kakadu is one of the most beautiful places on earth, it is a delicate yet expansive million year old eco system. it is home to the earth's oldest and surviving culture - the Gagudju people and the Gagudju way. They have lived on this land for longer than 50,000 years.
At Jabiluka, in Kakadu - land owned by the Mirrar people of the Gagudju clan - construction has just begun on a new uranium mine. The mine has bee the dream of mining companies involved for nearly two decades. Last year the conservative government in power pushed through approval without even consulting the legal traditional owners - nor did they wait for the completion of an environmental impact study.
Yvonne Margarula (left), the
elder of the Mirrar people has said no to mining. her people have
challenged the mining company's right to mine in the Federal and High
courts OF Australia, and lost. THEY HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM PARIS
WHERE THEY PRESENTED THEIR CASE TO THE UNITED NATIONS for placing an
"in danger" listing on the Heritage status of the Land. Whilst away,
the Territory Police, acting on behalf of mining interests, bulldozed
a sacred site. UNESCO representatives came and inspected what was
happening at Jabiluka Kakadu in less than a fortnight after they were
told. They will report their findings at the World Heritage Committee
meeting in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1998. [Editor's Note: At its
meeting in Cairns in November 2002, the World Heritage Committee
decided not to list Kakadu National Park as "in danger". Concerning
natural issues the Committee acknowledged that there is a need for
greater transparency and monitoring and decided that a revised
Australian science panel be established. Concerning cultural matters
the Committee urges the Government and the Gundjehmi Aboriginal
Corporation to resume dialogue aimed at addressing outstanding
cultural issues. It states that if this fails both groups are to try
and agree on an independent facilitator to get things back on track.
If this fails the issue comes before the Committee again next
year.]
There are many important sacred sites in this part of Australia. Most are the secret tribal knowledge of the Aboriginal people. A knowledge Of the dreamtime. The dreamtime is a cohesive force that weaves all life and all parts of the environment together into a single fabric. Its force continues and is as alive today as it was when time first began. as long as the life force is not disrupted, the fabric will not be torn and It should endure forever.
There are many dreamings associated with kakadu. forces and spirits of the dreamtime live in the sacred places. Below the escarpment that borders Jabiluka lives the Rainbow Serpent. The rainbow serpent - Almudj - was a creator being and spirit ancestor from the dreamtime. When finished her work she took up residence "forever and for good" here. There is a dreamtime story associated with her - it says when the rock splits and the serpent is disturbed life in the universe will end.
We are disturbed at what is happening in our country - to the land of the first people. it would seem that forces greater than they appear wish to destroy this sacred land and people for nuclear profit. Australians do not even use nuclear energy but the industry thinks it can do what it wants here. digging up the earth's heart and lungs and leaving massive dams of radioactive water at the site.
Kakadu is wetland. It floods every year. the radioactivity can never be contained. A quarter of Australian birds live in Kakadu. Their genetics will be mutated by the effect of the mining. So will the people who live off the land - in the old way.
Our government has bypassed the aboriginal peoples rights to decide the fate of the land because it likes the money. there are few option left for stopping the mine. already the bulldozers have begun the destruction.
For the last few months and for the rest of the year, the Mirrar people have had a blockage at the site of the Jabiluka Mining Lease. Already thousands from across the country have joined the blockade for periods of time. Many have been airlifted to the hospital at Darwin after being bashed by police.
Yvonne Margarula was arrested with many of her people and charged with trespassing on their own land.
The blockage has
been joined by prominent Australians - Peter Garrett (shown right) who
is a lawyer as well as President of the Australian Conservation
Foundation (and part of the band Midnight Oil); Tom Uren, former
Federal Minister (which banned the mine before the current government
came into power); and Vince Jones the Jazz Man.
Tonight as we write we learnt by e-mail that the mining company has been blasting explosives at the site of the mine today.
We believe a global groundswell of opinion and talk will work better than any to wake our political system to a greater consciousness.
WHAT WE ASK OF YOU IS TO SPREAD THIS STORY. THERE IS MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR YOU OR ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILIES OR ASSOCIATES WHO WANT TO KNOW.
There is a documentary of the struggle of the Mirrar people. The film, "Jabiluka," was made by David Bradbury. David Bradbury is Australia's most internationally famous and influential documentary makers. He has made films about Nicaragua, El Salavador and Chile, and exposed to the world the political abuses of human rights of the regimes that pulled their societies apart. It can be ordered through www.frontlinefilms.com.au/videos/jabiluka.htm
The Mirrar people have their own web site that you can visit to find out more about their day-to-day struggle. The URL is http://www.mirrar.net/ You can e-mail them with words of support.
Most of all, we want you to hink about what is happening, feel at one with our struggle -- because it is all our struggle. The struggle against greed and abuse that is seeking to plunder the poinson this most beautiful of planets -- Gaia, the living Earth.
The nuclear industry is a sham. The energy issue is not clean/unclean it is safe/unsafe. uranium in energy reactors creates plutonium waste that makes bombs or sits in an uncontainable state emitting radiation that is harming our DNA. if you would like to read a short discussion paper we have written and distributed to strategic persons within the australian cultures we will send it to you.
We contact you because you are strong - you have the focus of the world on your actions and utterances. you influence the hearts and minds of millions. now is the time we all must act to stop what is happening to the earth and our future. There is a cheap, sustainable, clean, safe alternative. The answer is light. Sun light and photovoltic cells. Solar power. The technology exists. We just have to use it.
Thanks for your time.
- Verity, Annie & Craig
Sydney, Australia
vcarney@rocky.econ.usyd.edu.au
