Sydney - Five million hectares of land around the giant rock of Uluru in Central Australia will be declared an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), giving most power to traditional owners to manage it.
A ceremony was held at a remote centre between Uluru and the Western Australian border on Thursday, effectively giving the Anangu people to receive federal government funding to protect sacred sites, native plants and animals around the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory.
“We really want to teach the young ones how to look after the place properly and strongly... to get out there and see all the water holes and important places,” traditional owner Janie Miama told news agency AAP.
The Central Land Council said the new protected area would help the Anangu maintain traditional culture.
“They can get out on country for burning (a spiritual smoke ceremony), clearing of water holes or ceremony and to take young people out with them and pass on cultural knowledge,” director David Ross said.
Australia now has 51 Indigenous Protected Areas covering 36 million hectares.
Xinhua