The Summit aimed to bring our people together and enable their voices to be heard. During this two-day event, we canvassed the three key activities within the project – cultural mapping, a skills audit, and a stakeholder engagement plan -and welcomed opinions, concerns and goals of the Boonthamurra People.
Some of the feedback we received from the Summit can be viewed below:
Barbara Olsen
“I felt comfortable at this meeting and all of our meetings, it’s great meeting up with the rest of the tribe. I felt a whole lot better about the native title determination and to have a good relationship with pastoralist and mining companies. Now, we have a good idea of how to go about using our native title rights. I would very much like to be a part of the Board’s activities and to know what’s going on.”
Madison and Dennis Speedy
“We didn’t know much about the Summit until we travelled out here, but we wanted to attend to become a member, to help our Boonthamurra tribe and become a leader for our next generation. We think the Summit went well because it was an opportunity to learn and understand our native title rights.”
James Speedy
“It was good to see more people come on board. I would recommend a summit like to this neighbouring groups because the meeting and greeting of new family members was interesting, and each local Aboriginal land council should get involved. It’s good for all mobs to get together.”
Alexis Speedy
“The meeting was good because we need information. It was interesting and we need more meeting opportunities like this Summit. A highlight for me was meeting the family, both new and old members.”
Michael Ray
“This Summit meant a lot to the Boonthamurra People and our families. It was good to be bringing our younger generations to step up to the plate to take over and make our culture strong, and keep going in the right direction, learning from our Elders and seeing the progress in history as Uncle Mark and Aunty Barb did for the Boonthamurra People. It would be good to see more contributions from the Boonthamurra People and better communication and relationships between families and the Boonthamurra People.”
If you have more feedback for us or would like to talk about the ‘Mapping Resources to Manage Country’ project, please contact us.
Earlier this year, the Boonthamurra PBC was awarded a grant of $96,000 under the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Indigenous Advancement Strategy. This grant was provided to allow the PBC to complete a project on ‘Mapping Resources to Manage Country’, which aims to identify all the resources available to the Boonthamurra people and combine this information to develop a practical plan for our future.
To launch this project, the Boonthamurra PBC is holding a Boonthamurra People’s Summit in late September, to bring our people together and enable their voices to be heard. During this two-day event, we will workshop the three key activities that make up the project: cultural mapping, a skills audit, and a stakeholder engagement plan. We want to hear opinions, concerns and goals of the Boonthamurra people, and encourage participation in the design and implementation of the project.
Published on the NAIDOC website on 24 July 2018.
She is a change maker and cultural keeper, always opening her home and heart to her extended family, and becoming a mother and mentor to so many.
Aunty Lynette’s exceptional work in and for her community began when the Mitchell Aboriginal Community received financial support to establish their own Kindergarten in 1975 – she became its president, and served on the committee for many years.
An advocate for the Gunggari people, she is the founding member of many of the local organisations in South West Queensland. She is a community worker, and has worked tirelessly to advocate and lobby for the rights and betterment of the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for over fifty-three years.
Aunty Lynette is the Cultural Keeper of Knowledge for Gunggari people. She is a story teller, sharing the importance of land, language, identity and cultural practices.
It is because of her, so many can.
Published by NITV on 13 July 2018.
Mother, mentor and change-maker, Aunty Lynette Nixon is the recipient of the 2018 Female Elder of the Year for her tireless work in multiple organisations.
Aunty Lynette Nixon, a Gunggari woman from south-west Queensland, is the 2018 NAIDOC Female Elder of the Year.
The respected Elder has been recognised for her incredible contribution and service to the Indigenous community of south-west Queensland, and her outstanding contributions in bringing change to, and benefiting, the lives of others.
Nixon is a passionate advocate of Indigenous rights whose tireless work in multiple organisations sees her sitting on a number of committees in a various areas including education, language, reconciliation, health, housing and legal services.
She is a mother of seven and a founder of 15 organisations, and is an inspiration and role model for all saids Alice Beiby from Gunggari Native Title Aboriginal Corporation who nominated Nixon for her outstanding service and dedication to improving Indigenous communities.
“Her list of achievements speaks for themselves, she has clearly demonstrated her involvement in the Indigenous community at Local, Regional, State and National levels.”
In 1979, Nixon was an important figure, establishing the Aboriginal Housing Company where she served as a President, Vice President and committee member over many years, working to improve housing services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait people.
Nixon was also one of the key leaders who fought extensively alongside the Nalingu Aboriginal Corporation in returning Yomba to the Traditional Owners as well as the preservation and return of the original school and the Yumba Interpretive Trail.
She is passionate about the revival of traditional language. Nixon has worked as a Language Worker for the Kombumerri Aboriginal Corporation. In this role she developed Aboriginal Studies and introduced a language program into primary schools. During the 90s, she taught the local Gunggari language to school students, and Mitchell State School in Queensland still continues these classes.
Nixon is also the author of six Gunggari language children’s storybooks that not only teach language, but emphasises the importance of Country, animals and totems.
Working as a health advocate and co-researcher for the University of Queensland, Nixon helped to establish community-controlled health services for the community of South West Queensland, including being Chair of the Goolburri Mobile Dental Service Committee, now known as the Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement.
As a woman committed to improving Indigenous health, in 1991, she travelled across Australia to educate doctors and nurses on Aboriginal health and cultural competency. For more than 15 years she produced three editions of the text Binang Goonj – Bridging Cultures in Aboriginal Health. This publication today still continues to have a enormous impact on health professionals and the Indigenous health community.
In 2007, Nixon co-researched Cultural Homelessness among Aboriginal Youth in South West Queensland and also contributed enormously to the Indigenous Women’s Group and in 2008 was awarded the Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Award “Myalla Booboghun” Big Talking Women for her service and contribution.
Despite being retired, Nixon still works hard, volunteering through Nalingu Aboriginal Corporation were she supports tours, language, cultural education. She also does work helping members of the Stolen Generations.
Nixon also works as the Director of the Gunggari Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, as well as being the founding member and Gunggari Representative on the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations (NBAN) Committee.
