Traditional Owners of the land
Who is FPMMAC
The First People of the Millewa-Mallee are a community of family groups.
Individuals within First People of Millewa Mallee identify as Latji Latji and Ngintait. The First Peoples of the Millewa Mallee group is not formed on the basis of language group identity. We are the custodians of our Country.
- First People of the Millewa-Mallee Aboriginal Corporation was registered 2015 and granted Registered Aboriginal Party status in December 2018.
- First People of Millewa Mallee are in the process of seeking Native Title determination and Traditional Owner Settlement.
We are the living Indigenous culture within the Australian community.
What FPMMAC do
To expand cultural activity we will:
- Develop employment & economic opportunity On-Country.
- Develop & support cultural activities.
- Expand traditional languages knowledge and use.
- Expand our Aboriginal community.
The First Peoples of the Millewa-Mallee people have maintained continuous connection to our Traditional Country from the initial period of colonisation up to the present.
Native Title Claim
Commencing at the intersection of the centreline of the Mallee Highway and the South Australia / Victoria border and extending generally northerly and generally south easterly along that border and the New South Wales / Victoria border to its intersection with a line extending due east from the intersection of the centrelines of Hards Road and Barko Road (Approximate Latitude 34.422151° South); then west along that line to that intersection; then generally westerly along the centreline of Hards Road to its intersection with Iraak Lake Road; then generally westerly along the centreline of that road (being on the southern and western side of Lake Iraak) to its intersection with the Kulkyne Way; then south easterly along the centreline of Kulkyne Way to its intersection with Birkins Road; then generally westerly and generally south westerly along the centreline of that road to the Calder Highway; then generally southerly along the centreline of that Highway to its intersection with the Mallee Highway at Ouyen; then generally westerly along the centreline of that Highway back to the commencement point.
Our Rap
FPMMAC Registered Aboriginal Party
Our Entity
First Peoples of the Millewa-Mallee are people of the river and the scrub and desert in an area known today as the North West of Victoria. We are descended from families whose Ancestors are part of this Country - Ancestors who cared for it, sang to it, danced on it and kept it strong and fat. Our Ancestors passed through generations a responsibility to care for Country.
The First People of the Millewa-Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (FPMMAC) represents the rights and interests of all First Peoples of the Millewa-Mallee, including in relation to current settlement processes under the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010 (Vic). The First People of the Millewa-Mallee also have a registered claim for Native Title under the Native Title Act 1993 (C’wealth).
Under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Vic) (the Act) FPMMAC is the appointed Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP) and acknowledged Traditional Owners, of the Country in the north west of Victoria that runs south of the Murray River to the Mallee Highway, and west from the Calder Highway to the South Australian border, including the Murray-Sunset National Park. FPMMAC was appointed as RAP on 5th December 2018.
What is a registered Aborigional Party?
Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs) are recognised in the Act as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage. The Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council appoints RAPs as the parties who hold primary responsibility for cultural heritage decisions at a local level. Once appointed, RAPs have formal functions in the management and protection of Aboriginal cultural heritage, as well as being the contact people for general enquiries relating to cultural heritage in the appointed RAP area.
A RAP has an overarching duty to act in good faith in the carrying out of all of its functions and exercising its powers under the Act. RAPs are able to charge fees for their participation in their various consultation, assessment, recommendation and advisory roles under the Act. The Victorian Government has published recommended fees and conduct guidelines rates for this work.
Aboriginal Victoria: Protocols for Recognising Traditional Owners
In addition to the legal functions of RAPs set out under the Act, Aboriginal Victoria (AV) publishes guidelines and protocols for everyone to follow in order to properly recognise the Traditional Owners when holding a function or event.
Membership
Application forms are available from reception or download from the website.
Below is the process taken when a membership application has been requested:
1. Community member to complete First People of the Millewa-Mallee Aboriginal
Corporation Membership Form selecting either Full Member or Associate Member.
2. Hand the completed form in at reception or email : admin@fpmmac.com.au
3. Office Administrator will pass the form onto the Board who will table the application at the next meeting.
4. Directors will consider the application and eligibility and either approve or deny.
5. Board will hand the form back to the Office Administrator, keeping a copy for our
records. The Community member will then be notified as to the result of their
application.
