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Altyerre

Central Arrente people and more specifically the members of the Mparntwe, Antulye and Irlpme Estate groups are the people who have had responsibility for the land within the Municipality of Alice Springs since time memorial.

The land and everything within it were created during the Altyerre (Dreamtime). It was created by ancestral figures. Ancestral figures who had supernatural powers and also had human-like characteristics. These ancestral figures were specific types of animals, plants and other natural phenomena (totems). Our ancestors created the landscape, the people who belong to the landscape and the Law for our society.

We are linked to our country and to each other by our Laws and our traditional customs. We still honor our links despite the imposition of another culture (European) over our land and our traditional hunting and ceremonial grounds.

The enormous changes on the landscape and the traditions that had previously been upheld for thousands of years have been ones of hardship, dispossession and struggle for survival for Central Arrernte people in the short space of a century or so since the explorer, John McDouall Stuart came through ëThe Gapí. With the development of the Overland Telegraph Line in the early 1870ís including the establishment of the Telegraph Station came the dispossession and displacement of Central Arrernte people from areas of cultural and residential significance.

As Alice Springs developed into an administrative centre for Central Australia, the Central Arrernte people were swamped by ëvisitorsí, both European and people of other Australian Aboriginal Nations.

Despite all of the difficulties we continued to assert our rights. Our rights as caretakers and custodians of the land in and around Alice Springs. Our rights to practice our ceremonies and food gathering techniques. Our rights to ëtalk for countryí. Our rights to maintain continuity between the past and the present.

Native Title

The Alice Springs Native Title Determination in 1999 by the Federal Court of Australia determined that the High Court recognized the Common Law rights and interests of the ancestors of the three estate groups of the; Mparntwe, Antulye and Irlpme family groups.

The Federal Court of Australia decision was the first to recognize Native Title in an urban area of Australia.

After six years of providing evidence to the Federal Court of Australia and the presiding Judge, Judge Olney the decision recognized the determination and practice of Central Arrernte people to the maintenance of our traditional connections to country and the resilience and strength of our culture. A culture that provides a foundation for the community life of Alice Springs and Central Australia. A foundation that has grown stronger since the Native Title Determination and a foundation that has proved we can still live traditionally even within a European imposed culture.

Common Law Holders

Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation was incorporated in 2002 to represent the Native Title Holders for the Municipality of Alice Springs. The descendants of the three estate groups who are recognized by the elders and the custodians as having cultural and family rights and responsibilities.

Since its incorporation Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation has had many achievements. The first being the sale of a subdivision named, Stirling Heights, in honor of the first Chairperson of Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation, Brian Stirling.

Through the recognition of Native Title, Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation had co-ownership of the land with the Northern Territory Government.

Land Rights or Native Title

Native Title Tribunal

The role of the Tribunal
The National Native Title Tribunal works with people to develop an understanding of native title and reach enduring native title and related outcomes that recognise everyone's rights and interests in land and waters (see types of applications). It works in an impartial and fair way, taking into account the views and concerns of everyone involved in the native title process.

Hundreds of agreements have been documented throughout Australia since the Tribunal was established in 1994.

The Tribunal is an Australian Commonwealth Government agency set up under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cwlth). It is part of the Attorney-General's portfolio and mediates native title claims under the direction of the Federal Court of Australia.

On request, the Tribunal assists people in negotiations about proposed developments (future acts), such as mining. The Tribunal acts as an arbitrator or umpire in some situations where the people involved cannot reach agreement about proposed developments. The Tribunal also assists people who want to negotiate other sorts of agreements, such as indigenous land use agreements.

Links

National Native Tribunal - http://www.nntt.gov.au
Alice Springs Town Council - http://www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au
Central Land Council - http://www.clc.org.au