The contribution of homelands to traditional owners

The Aboriginal Land Rights Act (Northern Territory) ensures that anything that is built on lands trust land, including in the homelands, becomes owned by the traditional owners. As we put it, "what’s built on the ground, stays on the ground". This gives the government an understandable financial incentive to avoid spending money on homelands and to instead spend in the bigger centres where it can own what it builds.

But the Chief Minister might find there are important, broader economic and social reasons for continuing to supporting homelands living.

My good friend David, a 78-year-old at Djebenna outstation says, "Bush is better! Peace and quiet. In the bigger centres all you hear is boom, boom, boom, dong, dong, dong music. You go crazy."

Ahead of barge weekends (when grog travels into Maningrida once a fortnight by barge) young women flee the centres and travel to their homelands with their grandparents to escape problems.

The lifestyle is healthier in all sorts of ways.

George, who is 75 and lives on his homeland most of the year, makes large fish traps from wild rope found in the bush. He sells them to the Maningrida Arts and Culture Centre which has a thriving national and international trade. He uses the same traps to catch fish and in local creeks and billabongs.

Artists appreciate the tranquility and spiritual connection they get being on their homeland. Their stay helps them keep alive their cultural practices and knowledge. It gives them a purpose, an income and encourages them to pass on their skills to future generations.

David and George and I share our harvesting skills with our kids and grandkids "on country". We enjoy fishing together, collecting yams. It’s strengthens our relationships. And it's healthier than town take-away tucker. We hunt introduced species - buffalo and pig, improving the country. We manage the lands and we make use of bush medicine. It helps wash our insides.

As the older men tell me repeatedly: "In the big towns you can buy everything; cigarettes, 'white man' food, too much take-away. That’s why people die".

The Menzies School of Health Research recently published a paper in the Medical Journal of Australia confirming that Aboriginal people’s health is much improved by their living and working on homelands. It found lower rates of heart disease, diabetes and renal failure. People exercise more and are less stressed.

It represents a cost saving to government.

Homelands are like banks. Not for money but for security, knowledge and culture. Traditional owners and their families benefit and so does the rest of Australia.