Kabi Kabi Elder Brian Warner, says a Native Title ruling in south east Queensland will put the region on a global stage during the 2032 Olympic Games.
The Kabi Kabi were recently recognised as Native Title holders over more than 365-thousand hectares of land that includes the Sunshine Coast, Gympie, Bribie Island and Mudjimba Island.
They have also been granted the right to take resources from the area for any purpose – the first time that has been included in a Native Title ruling on the east coast.
“We know what’s coming in 2032, and if we can propel ourselves and find the required funding that aids our programs and products we’re looking to develop and deliver, I think we’ll have success and I think it will be success on a world scale,” he said.
“Within that landscape of Noosa and the Sunshine Coast because the Olympics are coming to the Sunny Coast and one of the traditional owner groups are the Kabi Kabi.
“I think we will be the face of the world, or one of those traditional owner groups that are the face of the world and it’s time for us to think about our future.”
Mr Warner used one tree to highlight the importance of taking resources from the area.
“If we take the Macaranga tree, from that tree we would create a lot of spears the tree has its relationship to water and land,” he said.
“We could decorate the spear and sell it in the shop but we wouldn’t want to destroy every Macaranga tree would we? There needs to be some maintenance to the system.”
He says future generations will benefit from the Native Title ruling.
“We’d be teaching our children to walk on country and show them the resources that are on country,” he said.
“Take the Macaranga tree, its leaves look like a love heart and you can crush them down. You can put it into water and if your child has got a tummy ache they can drink it and get rid of the tummy ache and that’s the education side right.”
