Native title leadership changes in recent months mean some fresh perspectives have emerged in the native title sector—however these come from leaders with considerable experience.
The National Native Title Council’s (NNTC) former chair person Brian Wyatt has moved into the council’s new full-time chief executive position and is now based in Melbourne.
Brian Wyatt.
Hans Bokelund.
Nolan Hunter.
Lillian Maher.
Mr Wyatt moved from Kalgoorlie where he had been the chief executive of the Goldfields Land and Sea Council for 11 years.
Barrister Hans Bokelund moved from Melbourne to Kalgoorlie to replace Mr Wyatt as the GLSC chief executive, starting with the council on 10 May.
The Kimberley Land Council’s deputy director Nolan Hunter has taken over as the NNTC’s chair person.
The NNTC was established in 2005 to provide a national voice for native title representative bodies and service providers on matters relating to the native title rights of Indigenous people.
National Native Title Tribunal WA manager Lillian Maher said the introduction of a chief executive position in the NNTC demonstrated how the council’s role had grown and the importance of its voice in native title across Australia.
“The council is fortunate to have at its helm two very experienced native title leaders, from different regions in Western Australia, which is a positive for all representative bodies and for WA in particular,” Ms Maher said.
• Brian Wyatt
• Hans Bokelund
• Nolan Hunter
The future of Australia’s Indigenous people rests on the resolution of native title.
That’s the view of the National Native Title Council’s first chief executive Brian Wyatt, who began work in Melbourne in his new role on 6 April.
The former Kalgoorlie-based Goldfields Land and Sea Council (GLSC) chief executive and NNTC chair says of Australia’s indigenous policies that you “can’t ‘close the gap’ until you settle native title”.
“Native title forms the basis of policy development when looking at things like ‘closing the gap’—it all relates to property rights,” Mr Wyatt said.
People wanted to be self-sufficient and recognition of their native title enabled them to move on to develop their economic base, he said.
“We need to look at how we settle claims,” Mr Wyatt said.
“Native title must be settled by agreement so there is no bitter taste about it, and the settlement must be relevant to the claimants’ needs.”
The Yamatji man who grew up in Western Australia’s Geraldton–Mid-West region has worked in the indigenous sector since the 1970s, including stints with WA’s Department of Indigenous Affairs, several community organisations and with former WA government minister Ernie Bridge, the first Indigenous person to be a cabinet member in Australia.
Mr Wyatt spent 11 years as the GLSC chief executive and was the NNTC’s chair from its formation in 2005 until March 2010.
He said his new role as the NNTC chief executive, based at Native Title Services Victoria, gave him the opportunity to take his native title knowledge to a higher level.
“My work in native title now has a national and international focus, including taking part in the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, as part of the indigenous people’s network of Australia looking at the extractive industry and climate change,” he said.
Reflecting on his 11 years with the GLSC, Mr Wyatt said there were two main turning points: the reconfiguring of 111 Goldfields claims to 13 and the Federal Court’s Wongatha decision in 2007.
“While the Wongatha decision [relating to one claim and overlap areas of six other claims] dismissed those native title claims there was a positive outcome—the judge didn’t rule there was no native title, which meant new claims could be made in the area,” Mr Wyatt said.
He was also pleased The Esperance Nyungars native title application was now being negotiated by consent with the WA Government—potentially to be the first consent determination in the Goldfields region since the Native Title Act was introduced in 1994.
Mr Wyatt said that throughout his long career in the indigenous arena he was able to maintain his commitment and enthusiasm by continuing to reinvent himself and to meet new challenges.
“You have to be able to see things through to a certain point then be able to hand over and move on to the next challenge,” he said.
The route between Kalgoorlie and Melbourne has been busy for native title leaders in recent months.
While Brian Wyatt moved from Kalgoorlie to Melbourne to begin work as the National Native Title Council chief executive in April, barrister Hans Bokelund made the reverse journey to take up his position as chief executive of the Goldfields Land and Sea Council on 10 May.
Queensland born to a Swedish father and a mother descended from the Darumbal and Wiri people, Mr Bokelund has significant legal, management and indigenous sector experience.
He has more than 15 years experience in private sector management, including five years in law, and has been with the Victorian Bar in Melbourne for the last three years.
Mr Bokelund said his legal career has included giving native title advice in Victoria and Queensland and he acted in Broome’s Rubibi appeal.
With a masters degree in native title and corporate governance and specialist knowledge in strategic management, Mr Bokelund said he welcomed the opportunity to examine and review the council’s operational plans and take the organisation into the next phase of its existence.
The first task has been overseeing a submission for the continued recognition of the council as a representative body. This is a regular Federal Government requirement to ensure continued funding.
GLSC chair person Ian Tucker said he looked forward to Mr Bokelund working with him through the many challenges still being faced in the Goldfields region.
“We have made significant progress over the last two to three years,” he said.
“But Mr Bokelund’s experience and his strong advocacy for indigenous rights will bring new perspectives and insights to this challenging role.”
Broome born Bardi man Nolan Hunter is taking his experience as Kimberley Land Council deputy director to the national arena in his new role as chair person of the National Native Title Council.
Mr Hunter also has more than 20 years’ experience in strategic operations and staff management, including a role as WA manager for Indigenous Community Volunteers in Perth.
He spent 14 years with the Department for Aboriginal Affairs, the Aboriginal Development Corporation and the Department of Social Services in the Kimberley, Central Desert region and in various Northern Territory communities.
Mr Hunter has also experienced the many rich and diverse cultures found overseas in work with the Australian Consulate in Manchester and the Australian Embassy in Vienna, Moscow, Edinburgh and Dublin.
Through his extensive travel Mr Hunter says he developed a greater appreciation and understanding of his own culture and tradition and, as a result, he spent three years as director of the Mamabulanjin Aboriginal Corporation in Broome.
Mr Hunter, who has strong links to his people and culture along the Dampier Peninsula, is a staunch supporter of land rights, is heavily involved in the fight for native title and has a great interest in water and Aboriginal rights. |