Mining Threatens Sacred Sites
The Yellabinna region in the north-west of South Australia is the largest stretch of mallee Wilderness in the world…And It’s also an area that holds deep cultural significance for the local Kokatha people…Much of the traditional local culture is based on a deep connection with the land and its various formations…These sacred sites connect their dreaming stories…A section of the Yellabinna region has been put forward for protection, but not all of the sacred sites have been included…To make matters worse for the Kokatha people, mining leases have been granted on the edges of the protection area—putting some of the sacred sites under threat…A group of Kokatha women has had meetings with South Australia’s Aboriginal Affairs minister TERRY ROBERTS, in an effort to have the protection area expanded— One of the women SUE HASELDINE told HARRY DARE about her long time involvement in the issue