Native Title.
"Native Title" is the recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have rights and interests to their land and waters based on traditional law and customs.
In May 2005, Native Title was granted to the Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi people. This includes the right to:
- access Ngarluma Country
- engage in ritual and ceremony
- camp and build shelters
- collect bush medicine
- fish, hunt and take fauna
- hunt and take flora
- take ochre
- take water
- cook on the land
- care for and protect sites of significance in Ngarluma Country, including the right to impart traditional knowledge concerning the area
NAC is the governing body for Native Title over land the Ngarluma people are the traditional owners of. Further information on what Native Title involves can be found on the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety website.
As part of this governance role, NAC is responsible for managing Native Title land in a way that generates social and economic opportunities for Ngarluma people. We do this by:
- Creating employment and training opportunities.
- Repatriating and preserving culture and language.
- Restoring a sense of pride and purpose for the community.
Our partnerships with a range of corporate and government groups (including Rio Tinto, Woodside Petroleum, multiple government departments and the Indigenous Land Corporation) allow us to provide financial assistance and substantial employment opportunities to NAC members.
Our work to provide opportunities for Ngarluma people also includes the ownership and management of a number of business units including Karratha Station and Whim Creek Hotel.