Making and Distributing Profits as a Cultural Enterprise?

For some time now, ever since Marilyn and Peter Wallaces were first identified as cultural entreprenuers and the extended family (including younger generations) all met with Helen Murphy around a plastic table overlooking the Endeavour River and decided to apply business principles to achieve thier vision for the future .. ever since that meeting, Marilyn, Peter and family have been imagining Bana Yarralji as a Pty Ltd much like all the other mainstream Pty Ltds around them 

One of the key places from which Bana Yarralji has sought advice on what is involved in being a Pty Ltd, and sought assistance on incorporating as a Pty Ltd is Balkanu's Cape York Business Development Unit, particularly the Cooktown Business Hub, where Peter and Marilyn encountered some serious business planning for an Aboriginal hosting business on Nyungkal country by Westpac and KPMG secondees.

In the process of discussing their business wishes and seeking assustance to register their cultural enterprise as a Pty Ltd, it is amazing just how many people have asked Marilyn and Peter Wallace and others as to WHY they would want to register as a Pty Ltd where there are other less expensive, less onorous, and potentially better supported options around.   

The Balkanu Business Development Unit asked this; lawyers assisting Bana Yarraji draft leases for 873 Shiptons Flat Road asked this;  and most recently another Westpac/BTInvestment volunteer has asked this .. all asked the same thing  and almost all recommending incorporating with the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations  .. as an Indigenous Corporation.

Today's lesson, then, along the journey launching a cultural enterprise, after speaking to the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, was to find the recommended "indigenous corporation" option, will not actually allow Marilyn and Peter to trade and operate as genuine entrepreneurs ultimately receiving shares in profits  (being profits for which Marilyn, Peter and others might themselves committ to a cultural enterprise fund of some kind).

As an Indigenous Corporation profits need to be invested back into achieving the Corporation's objectives, where, as a Pty Ltd shares of profits can be distributed amongst the owners.   To operate as a genuine business, then, it seems Bana Yarrralji may still be imagined as bcoming a Pty Ltd, though it seems there may still be some ways to go yet!!

Moving towards the Vision of restoring Nyungkalwarra to Country

The vision of a future in which Nyungalwarra (Nyungkal people) are in charge, living and working on country .. being a vision shared by Marilyn Wallace, Bana Yarralji, and Nyunkalwarra more generally .. all moved a step closer this week!!

A long long time ago, it seems (back in the late 1980's & early 1990's) the Tropical Far North Queensland Institute of Technical and Further Education (FNQ TAFE) seemed to be leading the way in Queensland developing a Conservation and Land Management course especially tailored to the needs of the Aboriginal peoples of Far North Queensland.

Marilyn and Peter Wallace, had themselves previously had a very positive and empowering experience obtaining Certificate IV Conservation and Land Management (CALM) training and qualifications through the FNQ TAFE, and, earlier this year, in the pursuit of their Vision:

i.   they expressed wish to Gary Clark at FNQ TAFE to see the same FNQ TAFE training opportuntiy made available to other Nyungkalwarra and Eastern Yanji people;

ii.  they expressed the wish, and by some very good fortune, Gary and the FNQ TAFE were able to grant that wish!

Starting this week a group of almost 20 Nyungkalwarra and other Bama (local Aboriginal) students all met up on Nyungkal country, at Jirrandaku (aka Home Rule), to commence Conservation and Land Management training on country.

Marilyn Wallace and Bana Yarralji were only too pleased to have brought this opportunity to happen, and they were only too happy to be the hosts, starting first up, on the Tuesday morning, with the ironwood leaves and paperbark being collected, fire lit, called out to the old people, and all the students, 2 teachers, and visitors being smoked and welcomed, with all the best hopes and wishes as they embark on a journey into the future?!

Hosting International Biology Students from Glamorgan, Wales

By Friday, 5 August 2008, 8 International Biology students and one lecturer from the University of Glamorgan, Wales, had all arrived in Nyungkal country, with own tents, food, and sharing a single 4 wheel drive van.  

The students arrived from Glamorgan, Wales to be jointly hosted on country by Bana Yarralji and the South Cape York Catchments.  They were all ready to meet Marilyn and Peter Wallace (Bana Yarralji) and Jason Caroll plus Samanth Hobbs (South Cape York Catchments), commencing a six week stint being hosted to explore, survey, document, and describe some of the rich biocultural diversity in the Annan catchment (Nyungkal country).

Not far up the road from Lot 7, 873 Shiptons Flat Road (Bana Yarralji's base), located on the rich, red basalt soils, is a relatively healthy "complex, notophyll, vine forest", known locally to Marilyn Wallace et al as Jarrabina forest (Jarrabina being the Nyungkal word for the Bennetts Tree Kangaroo).

It had been determined the Jarrabina forest might make a wonderous place for biology and ecology students and scientists to explore, conduct surveys, and discover the tropical biocultural diversity of the northern Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.  It is exactly the kind of thing Bana Yarralji would like to be able to host into the longer term future.

This time hosting these students on Nyungkal country is not a commercial, business type venture, but rather an opportunity to trial this kind of hosting, and learn from hosting these students, what, exactly, might be involved in trying to host students and scientists from around the world on a more regular, commercial basis.

Already, just from one day, borrowing some camera traps and equipment from South Cape York Catchments; going for a short walk along the red road between the forests; discovering stinging trees. lantana, wait a while, large strangler figs, orchids, butterflies etc etc; followed up by a bit of a dinner with large t-bone steaks, cake, choral singing in Nyungkal language; other songs; and even some didgeridoo playing   ..

Already, following the above, Bana Yarralji has started talking, and started trying to find out from the lecturer and students about exactly what might be needed and required to offer such hosting as a commercial product.  After one day, everyone's enthusiastic!!   Will see how everyone feels after 6 weeks!?!

Seeking Support from Communal Landholders

The vision being pursued by Bana Yarralji is their personal vision, and, it has proven, a vision shared by many of the 1000 strong Nyungkal countrymen, plus the 5000 or more strong Yalanji nation (of whom Nyungkal are just one of approximately five groups).

Just as the Bana Yarralji vision is both a personal vision plus a shared vision; similarly, it turns out, the rights Marilyn Wallace et al have to occupy, use, and enjoy the ancesteral lands on which Bana Yarralji have been building their tiolet block etc are both individual rights and rights shared with as many as 1000 strong Nyungkal countryment, plus 5000 or more members of the Yalanji nation.

Not surprisingly, then, when Australian law and legal practices mix with local Aboriginal lore and legal process, there is much that gets entangled, even after the Australian Federal Court has determined what rights people such as Marilyn Wallace et al hold, and who holds those rights!!

The Bana Yarralji cultural entrepreneurs are seeking to exercise rights they are sourcing from within local indigenous lore; as individual rights to tell of their lores,; to host guests; to show off their lands and waters; to build a small family business; and to derive an income as their preferred means to achieve a more widely shared vision and dream.

Unfortunately the registered title holders of the lands on which Bana Yarralji is building it's toilets; establishing it's base; and striving to launch their small family cultural enterprise is, in fact, a corporate body and land trust charged by the Federal Court and State Government with holding the land on behalf of 1000 strong Nyungkal people plus greater than 5000 strong Yalanji nation

The challenge being reported in this post, then, is the challenge faced by Marilyn Wallace, Peter Wallace and Bana Yarralji of trying to win the support of the relevant corporate body and land trust, Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, without whose support it is not possible for Bana Yarralji to obtain a lease for the portion of Lot 7, 873 Shiptons Flat Road they are seeking to operate from .. withou whose understanding, support and assistance the Bana Yarralji cultural enterprise might not ultimately succeed

On Thursday last week, then, 28 July 2011, Bana Yarralji cultural entreprenuers arranged a meeting with members of the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporations board, plus senior staff within that organisations, to seek to explain exactly how it is that a cultural enterprise supported by a land trust can assist realize a vision and dream shared by the many.

The photograph  below, then, was taken in some spare space found around the Balkanu Cape York Development offices - at a table especially assembled for the purpose, showing the Bana Yarralji cultural entrepreneurs, Jabalbina Yalanji board members and staff, plus Cape York Instutitute staff and interns .. all having just met to explain, explore and begin building potential understanding and trust sufficient to actually see Bana Yarralji supported to apply business principles realizing a communally shared dream

Ancient Aliens: Hosting the History Channel

The future for Bana Yarrralji it seems, in the pursuit of their vision of seeing local Aboriginal people on country and local Aboriginal lore more fully respected and restored to country .. the future it seems is in their being distinctly Aboriginal hosts providing a distinctly cultural experience to wide range of visitors.

Just last week these proposed Aboriginal hosts were provided with a most interesting and unusual hosting challenge.

Located along the main road into Cooktown, just north of the Bana Yarralji block is Kalkajacka ..ie mysterious black mountains, known within local Aboriginal lore as the 'place of spears'  (during the heat of the day black boulders crack, and when vehciles are not driving past, one can hear the sound of spears)

[a look at the 6 minute utube video attached in earlier posting below will give glimpse of these mountains, plus Marilyn Wallace calling out to 'old people' or 'presence' within those mountains]

The hosting challenge presented to Marilyn and Peter Wallace, was a request form a television production unit associated with the History Channel to film Kalkjacka and learn the local Aboriginal stories for these mountains, as part of a series they have been producing entitled 'Ancient Aliens'

Promethius Productions seemed to wish to send in a film crew collecting possible evidence of Ancient Aliens having been on this earth, and Bana Yarralji had to weigh up the value of participating in an exercise of this kind.

Marilyn Wallace and co. advised Promethius Entertainment of the sacred nature of the mountain; they advised of long held beliefs in the presence of spiritual beings within the mountains; they sough reassurance that their beliefs would be respected;  they sought contribution for hosting them and/or their film crew (ie a contribution to their vision).

In the end Bana Yarralji seized the opportunity to perform before the cameras, teach a film crew and audience about cultural protocol for country, and tell of their lore before a production company and an audience who are more likely to pay some attention and give some heed to the need for strangers to be wary of places like Kalkajacka. 

A small film crew of two filmed Peter Wallace being warmed or smoked by custodians for the mountains; Marilyn Wallace called out to the old people or presence within the mountains in a language listed by UNESCO as critically endangers, and three sets of interviews were held sitting on two spare tires in an open paddock, with the sun setting on Kalkajacka. 

A good, pleasant time was held by all (see below), but still have to see if such hosting pays .. and still waiting to see what lessons may (or may not) be learnt out of such a hosting exercise!!

Forming a Genuine Business Development Partnership

Kuku Nyungkal country and Bana Yarralji's enterprise falls within Cape York Peninsula, for which a array of Cape York regional level organisations have been formed by Aboriginal peoples of Cape York to progress Aboriginal interests and aspirations.

Cape York regional organisations include Cape York Land Council, Cape York Institute, Cape York Corporation, Cape York Digital Networks, Cape York Health Council (Apunipima), Cape York Partnerships (Jawun) and more.   The Cape York regional organisation most significant to realising Bana Yarralji's hopes of establishing a successful, reliable cultural enterprise, has turned out to be Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation Pty Ltd.

In trying to record various steps being taken by Marilyn Wallace and Peter Wallace, plus the efforts being made by Bana Yarralji to launch a successful, reliable cultural enterprise  ..  Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation has recently drafted a template partnership agreement and Bana Yarralji has launched into the prospect of a partnership agreement sufficient to support thier cultural enterprise with full gusto.

Below are some photos taken from the Balkanu conference room, orginally taken closer towards the beginning of discussions with Balkanu's Caring for Country Business Unit new manager (Chris Hannocks), leading ultimately to meetings involving the funding body, senior Balkanu staff, and Caring for Country staff, with Marilyn in particular striving hard to push for and secure the maximum level of support possible from Balkanu to see Bana Yarralji realise their vision, stay in control, and most effectively launch their enterprise (against the odds?)

Hosting School of Earth and Environmental Sciences Students on Country

Bana Yarralji's future prospect of becoming a viable, sustainable cultural enterprise, it seems, is in Marilyn Wallace, Peter Wallace, their family and friends becoming good hosts on country.

(see previous posting about Mike's Magic Dougnut below)

A little earlier this year. back in June, Bana Yarralji were provided perfect opportunity to be the kind of hosts they are being encouraged to be ie providing a distinctly local Aboriginal cultural experience from their block of land, Lot 7, 873 Shiptons Flat Road (Kunawarra Estate, Nyungkal country)

James Cook University's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences lecturer, Sharon Harwood;

i.   heard Marilyn Wallace speaking out on local ABC Radio inviting visitors from around the world to come and visit her country in the hope of making income enabling Kuku Nyungkal people to  live, and make a living on Kuku Nyungkal country;

ii.  asked Bana Yarralji if they would be willing to talk to and host a block of students from around the world who would be keen to experience a bit of indigenous Australia as part of of a 'Planning for Sustainable Communities in a Changing Environment' course they would be doing.

Marilyn Wallace who has some past experience as a teacher or teacher aide, greatly valued the opportunity to host a group of students from around the world on her country .. and it wasn't long before they were all there, on Lot 7, being presented with Marilyn and Peter's shining vision of the future

Not quite a business venture at this point, but a valuable experience in what it's like to host University students on country; being an hosting exercise and potential beginnings of a new relationship with James Cook University's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences that Bana Yarralji would like to build upon and extend into the future.

A formal letter of thanks was recieved, some promise  of being forwarded some of the case study work the students produced has been made, Marilyn Wallace has been invited to meet senior officers in the Planning Institute of Australia, and enjoyable experience had by all!!