When Yindjibarndi leader Michael Woodley stood his ground against Andrew Forrest's FMG he had no idea he'd still be fighting for compensation 14 years later. Despite community division and lengthy court battles he's never backed down.
It's not far from the bustling mining city of Karratha that the spectacular rolling spinifex hills of the Chichester Ranges emerge on the horizon.
But don't take this as a retreat in his battle for compensation from Forrest's Fortescue Metals Group. "One of my friends told me a long, long time ago: get busy living or get busy dying, right. So … we chose to fight and chose to stand up and speak for ourselves and I'm proud that we did," he said.This dispute has come with endless challenges, several court appeals by the company and perhaps most heartbreakingly for the community's elders, it has split the Yindjibarndi mob in two.
"But when you have the state government that sits equally in support for a mining company … that makes it even more challenging. That's why I think this case is very important," he said.The recent hearings on country heard from Yindjibarndi elders who described their hurt and heartbreak at how FMG went about gaining access to their land.
The Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation is seeking one per cent of the mine's production value profit and compensation for the loss of close to 250 cultural sites, including rock art shelters which proved continuous human habitation for over 35,000 years.FMG said it has offered compensation to the Yindjibarndi people before and it remains committed to resolving the matter.Yindjibarndi isn't alone in its fight.
"We're talking about a break and disconnection to our songlines because our songlines, they travel right through to the other side of Australia and back."
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