Damon Mcknight
The Yamatji people are the traditional owners of the Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) of Western Australia. The NAR is home to the largest number of midden deposits in Southwest Australia. The Yamatji people have occupied the coastline of the NAR for thousands of years and are distinguished by their distinct language groups and cultural practices. The Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) is the Native Title Representative Body for the Traditional Owners of the Pilbara, Mid West, Murchison, and Gascoyne regions of Western Australia. The YMAC represents several different Traditional Owner groups, each with its own distinct Country, culture, and identity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Region | Pilbara, Mid West, Murchison, Gascoyne, and Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) of Western Australia |
| Population | Approximately 10% of the total population of the region |
| Towns and Cities | Geraldton, Carnarvon, Mt Magnet, Shark Bay, Mullewa, Cue, Gascoyne Junction, Meekatharra, Burringurrah, Yulga Jinna, Barrell Well, Wandanooka, Mungullah, Buttah Windee, Pia Wadjarri, Morawa, Yalgoo, Wiluna, Kalbarri, Dalwallinu, Carnamah, Kadathini, and Eneabba |
| Native Title Representative Body | Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) |
| Native Title Recognition | Awarded on February 7, 2020 |
| Native Title Settlement Area | Nearly 48,000 square kilometers (19,000 sq mi) |
| Native Title Compensation | A$450 million package |
| Aboriginal Groups in the Region | Amangu, Wadjarri, Badimia, Western Desert People, Wajarri Yamatji, Nanda, Noongar, and Yamatji |
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What You'll Learn
- Yamatji people are traditional owners of the Pilbara, Mid West, Murchison and Gascoyne regions
- The Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) is the Native Title Representative Body for the Yamatji people
- The Yamatji Nation was awarded native title recognition in 2020
- The Yamatji people have experienced widespread physical dispossession of their lands
- The Wajarri Yamatji people are working with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation to enable radio telescope projects
Yamatji people are traditional owners of the Pilbara, Mid West, Murchison and Gascoyne regions
The Yamatji people are the traditional owners of the Pilbara, Mid West, Murchison, and Gascoyne regions of Western Australia. The Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) is the Native Title Representative Body for the Yamatji people. The YMAC represents several different Traditional Owner groups, each with distinct country, culture, and identity. The YMAC's representative area is equivalent to approximately one-third of Western Australia, with offices in Perth, Geraldton, Carnarvon, Hedland, and Broome.
The Yamatji people have a deep connection to their lands and waterways, and their culture is maintained through languages, ceremonies, beliefs, music, art, laws, and creation stories. The Yamatji Nation is made up of five claimant groups: Hutt River, Southern Yamatji, Yamatji Nation, Mullewa Wadjari, and Widi Mob. The Yamatji people have experienced widespread physical dispossession of their lands, but in 2020, the Yamatji Nation was awarded native title recognition and a $450 million package for an area covering nearly 48,000 square kilometres. This decision allows the Yamatji Nation to hold non-exclusive possession rights over parts of former pastoral leases and land near nature reserves, empowering them to care for their country and access, hunt, and camp on this land.
The Northern Agricultural Region (NAR) of Western Australia is the traditional land of the Noongar and Yamatji Peoples, distinguished by their distinct language groups and cultural practices. The Yamatji people are the traditional owners to the north of the region, with an indistinct geographic boundary between them and the Noongar people in the Leeman-Green Head area. The area between Green Head and Jurien Bay, which falls within the NAR, is home to the largest number of Aboriginal midden deposits in Southwest Australia, and the Noongar and Yamatji People have occupied this coastline for thousands of years.
The Yamatji people have a strong presence in Geraldton and Carnarvon, with many also living in smaller towns such as Mt Magnet, Shark Bay, Mullewa, Cue, and Gascoyne Junction. Additionally, some Yamatji people live in remote communities such as Meekatharra, Burringurrah, Yulga Jinna, and Pia Wadjarri. The Wajarri Yamatji people specifically have been working with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) office to enable various radio telescope projects while respecting the cultural significance of the area.
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The Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) is the Native Title Representative Body for the Yamatji people
YMAC works with and for Australian Aboriginal people to protect their rights and manage their Country and opportunities. The organisation acknowledges the Traditional Owners and custodians throughout Western Australia and respects their deep connection to their lands and waterways. YMAC's representative area covers over one million square kilometres, which is approximately one-third of Western Australia. They have offices in Perth, Geraldton, Carnarvon, Hedland, Broome, and Tom Price, located on Whadjuk Country, Southern Yamatji Country, Kariyarra Country, and Yawuru Country.
YMAC represents several different Traditional Owner groups, each with distinct cultures, identities, and languages. These living cultures are maintained through ceremonies, beliefs, music, art, laws, and creation stories. The term 'Yamatji' means 'Aboriginal man' in the Murchison and Gascoyne regions, while 'Marlpa' is used by some Traditional Owners to denote the Aboriginal people of the Pilbara region.
As a not-for-profit organisation, YMAC is run by an Aboriginal Board of Directors, with Regional Committees chosen by its members. Membership is open to all adult Yamatji and Marlpa people. YMAC is committed to building a brighter future for current and future generations, honouring Elders and their ancestors, and recognising the continuing culture, traditions, and stories of the lands on which they work.
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The Yamatji Nation was awarded native title recognition in 2020
The Yamatji Nation was awarded native title recognition and a $450 million economic package on 7 February 2020. The package includes cash and assets to empower the traditional owners. This decision was the result of over 20 years of intense negotiations, with four overlapping claim groups uniting as the Yamatji Nation Southern Regional Agreement. The claim covers nearly 48,000 square kilometres in Western Australia's Midwest region, from as far north as Kalbarri, east to Yalgoo, and south to Dalwallinu.
The Yamatji people are from the Yamatji region in Western Australia, which includes the areas of Geraldton, Carnarvon, Mt Magnet, Shark Bay, Mullewa, Cue, and Gascoyne Junction. The Yamatji people make up about 10% of the total population of the region.
The Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) is the Native Title Representative Body for the traditional owners of the Pilbara, Mid West, Murchison, and Gascoyne regions of Western Australia. YMAC supported the negotiations for the Yamatji Nation's native title claim and is governed by the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth).
The native title recognition granted to the Yamatji Nation holds significant importance as it acknowledges the deep and abiding connection of the Yamatji people to their country. As native title holders, the Yamatji Nation will now have non-exclusive possession rights over specific areas, allowing them to access, hunt, and camp on their traditional country.
This recognition also sets a precedent in Australia as it is the first time that both native title recognition and an Indigenous Land Use Agreement have been determined simultaneously. The Indigenous Land Use Agreement includes a $450 million economic package that will enhance opportunities for the Yamatji people and provide various economic benefits to the broader community.
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The Yamatji people have experienced widespread physical dispossession of their lands
The Yamatji people are from the Yamatji (or Yamaji) region in Western Australia. The region includes the Pilbara, Mid West, Murchison, and Gascoyne areas. Yamatji people live mostly in Geraldton and Carnarvon, with many also living in smaller towns like Mt Magnet, Shark Bay, Mullewa, and Gascoyne Junction.
As native title holders, the Yamatji Nation now holds non-exclusive possession rights over parts of former pastoral leases and land parcels near nature reserves. While this does not give them the right to control access and use of these areas, it does allow them to access, hunt, and camp on this country.
The widespread physical dispossession of the Yamatji people from their lands makes this determination particularly significant. The recognition of native title and the ILUA empower the traditional owners to care for their country and provide opportunities for Indigenous ranger programs in the region.
The Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC), governed by the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth), played a crucial role in supporting the negotiations. YMAC is the Native Title Representative Body for the Traditional Owners of the Yamatji and Marlpa regions of Western Australia, working to preserve, protect, and promote native title recognition.
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The Wajarri Yamatji people are working with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation to enable radio telescope projects
The Wajarri Yamatji people are native to the Mid West region of Western Australia, also known as Murchison. The region covers an estimated 35,000 square miles (91,000 square kilometres). The northern borders range as far as the hills above the Lyons River headwaters, including Mount Isabella and the Teano and Waldburg ranges. The upper Gascoyne River also forms part of their traditional lands.
The Wajarri Yamatji people have been working with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to enable radio telescope projects. The CSIRO has recognised the spiritual and cultural connection that the Wajarri Yamatji people have to their land. The radio telescope projects are located on the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory (MRO), which lies on the traditional lands of the Wajarri Yamatji people.
The Wajarri Yamatji people and the CSIRO have been engaged in a strong partnership since signing an agreement in 2009. The partnership is focused on the ASKAP telescope project, which will form a world-leading telescope consisting of an array of 36 antennas, each 12 metres in diameter. The telescope will offer unprecedented sensitivity over long areas of the sky. The project will also pioneer cutting-edge technologies in electrical engineering, digital systems, computing, and signal transport.
The Wajarri Yamatji people have emphasised the importance of working with the CSIRO to develop community projects and ensure that the Wajarri Yamatji community benefits equally from the agreement. One of the key focuses of the agreement has been to provide education initiatives for Wajarri Yamatji students. A cadetship program for Wajarri Yamatji people has been set up and is set to run for 20 years. The CSIRO has visited the remote Pia Community School several times as part of a mentoring program.
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Frequently asked questions
The Yamatji people are from the Yamatji region in Western Australia.
The Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) is the Native Title Representative Body for the Traditional Owners of the Pilbara, Mid West, Murchison, and Gascoyne regions of Western Australia.
YMAC works to protect the rights and manage the land and opportunities of Australian Aboriginal people.
The Yamatji Nation Southern Regional Agreement is an agreement between the State and the Yamatji Nation Southern, made up of five claimant groups: Hutt River, Southern Yamatji, Yamatji Nation, Mullewa Wadjari, and Widi Mob.
