About Us
Embracing Cultural Identity
Binthi Warra Bama (People) & Bubu (Land)
We are a patrilineal society and the proud descendants of old Paddy McIvor, King Johnny McIvor, and his sons Bathadaar (Willie Wallace), Munarra (Paddy McIvor), and Woibo; and their kin. They taught us the stories of our intricate seasonal knowledge, spirits on our land, thaman (forbidden ground or private property), and yiirimbal (supernatural deity, the Creator) sacred sites.
Walahn gurra Mutharr
Binthi Warra are well recognised as ‘Walahn Mala Mihna-ngay’, which means very good hunters. We aspire to be ‘Walahn’ (caring and sharing hunters), and not ‘Matharr’ (greedy, lazy and selfish). We traditionally managed our Country according to our Binthi Seasonal Plant Calendar, controlled mosaic burns, and shared our resources. Our Bama Lore, and strict rules of Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge (IBK) and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), have helped us keep our culture alive, and Country intact since millennia.
Our commitment to the land, the people, and the spirit of our community, is at the heart of everything we do. As custodians of the land, we take our responsibility seriously. BLHGAC is deeply committed to sustainable land stewardship practices that harmonise with the environment and preserve the natural beauty of our ancestral lands.
The Binthi Land Holding Group Aboriginal Corporation is a custodian of Traditional Lands, committed to preserving and managing these lands for the Binthi Warra community.
- As Binthi Warra Bama (people), we belong to the White Cockatoo (Waandarr) moiety of the patrilineal Guugu Yimithirr Nation.
- Our totems (Bing a-thawuunh-ngay) are Brahminy Kite (wandi), Centipede (galaaya), and Nightjar (wambal).
- Our County consists of a mixture of shires, tenure and Native Title arrangements. It spans from south of Redbank to Cocoa Creek and Bridge Creek, within the McIvor River and Morgan River catchments on the Cape York Peninsula.
- Our tropical Country is characterised by the Wet and Dry Seasons.
- Our Binthi Warra people have an unbroken connection to our Country and our organisation has been incorporated since 1999.
- In accordance with our Rule Book, our governing body is a six-person Board of Directors who are elected at Annual General Meetings.
Bubu gurra Gaabu Ngaamburrgu – Land and Reef Alive
BLHGAC protects and manages its secrets and stories, and we are working towards National Heritage Listing nomination. We have reached the milestone of the 2022/2023 Finalised Priority Assessment List (FPAL) and collaborating with our community to increase the footprint of our nomination area and inviting them to join us to protect Country, and the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Through careful consultation and planning, we strive to balance economic development opportunities for the protection of our fauna, flora, and sacred sites.
Overview
Our corporation was incorporated in 1999, and adapted and matured into a respected Indigenous organisation in Cape York Peninsula, and the region. We are recognised as a leading Indigenous Entrepreneur (IE) and Indigenous Land Manager (ILM), proactively developing economic opportunities, and protecting our sacred Country, for a sustainable future.
We are a land holding entity, and hold title to 1,630 hectares of freehold land and 7,368 hectares of Aboriginal freehold. Approximately, 7,500 hectares of another parcel of our Country is held in trust by Hope Vale Congress Aboriginal Corporation (RNTBC). We are also trustees of Burrnga Country, with four other neighbouring Traditional Owner groups, within the Hope Vale Congress Aboriginal Corporation (RNTBC) area.
Our Purpose
- As a united clan, our mission is to preserve and enhance the cultural, environmental and social values of our Country (Bubu);
- Our motto is ‘Binthi Warra Bama-ngay, Bubu Thana-ngan-ngu, Dabarrgu Ngarra-thinhu, Magu-badaaygu’ – Forever Protecting and Respecting the Sacredness of our Land’;
- As Traditional Owners, Custodians and Trustees of our culture and country, we will deliver the highest standards of land management to protect the sanctity and uniqueness of our natural landscapes;
- By encouraging people to reconnect with Country, we promote healing and help ‘Close the Gap’;
- As proud Binthi Warra Bama (people), we champion sustainable land stewardship in accordance with our Lores, stories and customs;
- We will conserve and restore our Aboriginal cultural heritage and environment by promoting ecological sustainability;
- As community leaders and Elders, we will consult with our community to enable participation in decisions affecting their lives;
- We will optimise access to resources and services to continuously improve their quality of life of all generations;
- We will collaborate with strategic partners who respect and value our ways; and
- Together, we will forever protect, respect and celebrate our sacred Country for future generations.
Our Vision
Our vision is Wanggaar Dawaar Waminu: Reaching for the Stars as per image on right. It consists of the following components:
- Role as innovative Indigenous Entrepreneur (IE) and Indigenous Land Manager (ILM);
- Control our own destiny as custodians of our people, country and culture;
- Good governance and an abiding connection with our ancestors;
- Sustainability practices that combine the best of traditional ecological methods and modern technology;
- Mutually respectful collaboration and partnerships with non-Indigenous organisations;
- Programs that deliver benefits to our people – socially, culturally and economically;
- Long-term prosperity and career pathways through education, training and employment;
- Creative business enterprises that connect us to national and international opportunities;
- Cultural pride in clan history and identity; and
- Viable future of self-management and self-reliance for future generations.
Dawaar - Morning Star (Venus)
Binthi Elder Roy McIvor: In Guugu Yimithirr, the name of the morning star (Venus) is Dawaar. It is seen in the eastern sky as people are starting to move, ready to walk from the camp or go hunting. Just before dawn is the time the thuga, the (scrub hen), sings the last of its night call.
McIvor, R. 2010, p. 144, Cockatoo: My Life in Cape York, Magabala Books Aboriginal Corporation, Broome, Western Australia.
Legal and Corporate Functions
Legal Functions
- To fulfil the role and functions of a land-holding entity in accordance with the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 (QLD) and the Aboriginal Land Regulation 1991 (QLD);
- To be the grantee, including sole grantee, of land grants made under the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 (QLD);
- To receive royalty payments from the State under the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 (QLD);
- To act as trustee of any community purpose reserves and land granted pursuant to the Land Act 1994 (QLD), including ordinary freehold land;
- To own land, including legal and equitable interests in land;
- To act as trustee of any other trust, whether charitable or otherwise, established for the benefit of any of its members either alone or with others;
- To conserve and manage country owned by Binthi people in accordance with Binthi Law and custom;
- To hold title to Binthi lands, including legal and equitable interests in land;
- To enter into compensation or other agreements for mining and other activities pursuant to the Mineral Resources Act 1989 (QLD), the Native Title Act 1993 and any other legislation;
- To act as an Aboriginal cultural heritage body under the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 (QLD);
- To exercise all powers necessary or convenient to perform its functions for the benefit of the Statutory Title Holders in all matters relevant to these objects; and
- To operate and maintain a gift fund to be known as ‘The Binthi Land Holding Group Aboriginal Corporation Gift Fund’ in accordance with the requirements of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.
Corporate Functions
- Lawfully distribute any of the Corporation’s property, in-kind or otherwise, among any of its members;
- Assist in the relief of poverty, sickness, destitution and disadvantage among Binthi Warra through social and economic development;
- Promote community development and a robust infrastructure to deliver resources and services in education, health, housing, employment and welfare;
- Act as a clearing house on information, skills, participation and community services;
- Create diverse opportunities in agribusiness, conservation, niche Indigenous products and tourism;
- Develop an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) Management Plan, Fire Management Plan, Visitor Management Plan, Pest and Weed Management Strategy and Binthi Warra Healthy Country Plan;
- Implement Healing Country initiatives to sustain land management, preserve threatened species, safeguard sacred sites, and rehabilitate native species;
- Implement Healthy Country Plan to address threats to Binthi Country through community engagement, cultural knowledge and working on-country;List Item
- Implement biodiversity management by leveraging knowledge of eco-systems and weather patterns;List Item
- Educating community members and the broader public about sustainable ecological practices.List Item
Our Values and Principles
We are the oldest living and continuous culture in the world. We carry cultural, environmental and spiritual wisdom that is transferred through generations from ancient millennia.
- We respect our Ancestors, Elders, each other, land, and sacred places.
- As an inclusive and supportive culture, we treat all people with dignity and value their contributions.
- As part of our commitment to honesty and integrity, we promote accountability and transparency.
- We represent the aspirations of our people, respect our diversity, and the rights of Binthi Warra people to speak for Binthi Country.
- Our sustainable land management will balance economic development with environmental protection.
- The connection to Country is healing for the health and well-being of the Binthi Warra people and community.
- Our core values are relationships, ethics, sustainability, people, empowerment and trust.
Binthi Country
Binthi Country extends from south of Redbank, to Cocoa Creek and Bridge Creek and within the McIvor River and Morgan River catchments north of Hope Vale.
It consists of mixed tenure and native title arrangements. Our neighbours are Buurnga, Daarrba / Daarpba / Dharrpa, Dhiidhaarr/ Thiithaarr / Thithaarr, Dyubi/ Dyuubi / Thubbi / Thuubi, Gambaar / Gambarr, Gulaal, Ngaadha / Ngaatha, Nhirrbanh, Wundal and Wunuurr. Binthi is the trustee for Burrngra land with Dhiidhaarr / Thiithaarr / Thithaar, Dyubi / Dyuubi/ Thubbi /Thuubi, Ngaadha / Ngaatha and Nugal clans. Binthi Country is overlapped by Hope Vale Congress Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council boundary, Cape York United Number 1 claim and Cook Shire Council boundary.
Seasonal Calendar
For millennia, the Binthi Warra have nurtured a deep knowledge of how our plants and animals interact with the surrounding landscape and climate. The Binthi Warra Seasonal Calendar showcases these connections, featuring native species’ movements, and availability throughout the year.
