Australia hands back sacred land to Aborigines

[ccharles000]

The government of Australia's Northern Territory has handed back sacred land to a local Aborigine tribe.

The Emily and Jessie Gaps Nature Park, near Alice Springs, is significant for the Eastern Arrernte people as they have a strong attachment to the land.

The park contains totems of a race of ancient giant caterpillars, to which the people traces its origins.

The park will still be open to the public. The authorities have reached over 30 similar land use deals.

The BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney says the park has great spiritual and cultural significance because it tells the story of how the caterpillars once shaped the land.

There are economic benefits to the handover too, our correspondent says.

Under a joint management plan, the land will be leased back to the authorities and will continue to be a nature park.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8404247.stm

[xchrom]

1. ...

:applause:

[classysassy]

2. The Europeans

came,they stole the land,murdered the citizens and refused to go home,sound familiar?

[HipChick]

5. The British..lets place blame where its due...they once had an empire too..

how the mighty have fallen..

[HowHasItComeToThis]

11. GIANT CATERPILLARS ????????

a race of ancient giant caterpillars, to which the people traces its origins.

http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=384082011&tag=cyber-monday-2009-20

[eShirl]

3. "The time has come, a fact's a fact, it belongs to them, let's give it back."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejorQVy3m8E

[That Is Quite Enough]

4. That's at least a little good news.

[Blue_Tires]

6. kick

[Metta]

7. What? Some country is more enlightened than we are? Say it ain't so!

Oh, the agony ....

[jwirr]

8. By any chance is this the part of Australia that is on fire most of the

time?

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. I've been to both of those places.

In the early 70's, my father was stationed at Pine Gap and we lived in Alice Springs. Emily and Jessie Gaps are spectacular places in a vast, dry wilderness. The "gaps" are simply places in a ridge line or mountain range where water tends to collect and pool, staying wet even through the longest of droughts.



They are particularly beautiful and unique places.

I've also climbed Uluru (Ayers Rock), something that is now actively discouraged by the local tribe. Ayers Rock has similar features around its base, as water pools from the infrequent rainfall and some spots are almost rainforest-like in their lushness, while the surrounding plain is a dry, scrub covered desert.

[pleah]

10. K&R

[winyanstaz]

12. that is wonderful....

Now if the IRS will only return the land they just stole and sold for "back taxes" (how does the united states even have the right to collect taxes from a sovereign nation?) from the Native Americans reservation in the Dakotas that would be nice too.

[Lord Helmet]

13. k 'n r

[Hekate]

14. KnR. Good

Ccharles, you've posted several "good news" pieces tonight.

Thanks.

Hekate