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Jack Green talks about the Sacred Sites Act

26 March 2014

This video was recorded recently near Borroloola in the Gulf Region of the Northern Territory. Jack is a Garrawa man of Mumbalia affiliation who is a strong advocate for looking after country and sacred sites in his region.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

"My name is Jack Green I'm a Mumbalia person sitting here talking about this Act that the Government wants to take it away, that Sacred Sites Act.

They want to take it away from our people.

That is very important for Aboriginal people, if you take it away put it somewhere else we won't be able to protect our land. And the way things are set up at the moment its really strong and we want to keep it that way.

We don't want Government coming in and changing policies so we can lose our rights on our sites.

Enough been damaged now through mines and everything and we want to keep that thing very strong it's happen everywhere because that's the only one protects our sacred sites.

We'd like to keep that guidelines still in there or that policy that we had before, I'm really happy with that one.

I think all Aboriginal people that got culture when you do something wrong you hurt them really bad, you damage their country, their sites and you all get bad feeling.

Sort of contact everywhere, doesn't matter what clan group you are, its hurt us too because we got the same dreaming that's connected on some of the area you know we got different clans in different places.

That's what will hurt if you start taking away that right. You should keep it there because Government shouldn't come in and change the Act and take away policy from us. It's very important to us as Aboriginal people."

Youtube Hands off our sacred sites