The following open letter from the Kupa Piti Kungka Tjuta — the Senior Aboriginal Women's Council of Coober Pedy — was issued on July 19. It was signed by Eileen Kampakuta Brown, Emily Munyungka Austin, Ivy Makinti Stewart and Tjunmutja Myra Watson.
We have already fought the waste dump here in South Australia. The government wanted to put the dump in our country and we won the fight last year.
We've heard the government is saying it will put the dump in the Northern Territory next. We just wanted to say to everyone: Don't give up, just keep on going. We kept on going and we won. We were always talking strong, over and over.
Lotta people live up north and we have got family, many grandchildren, living in Alice Springs. One place is only 20km from Alice; that's too close. And what about the rivers and creeks? And all the floods? And don't forget about the underground water. It's very important.
We say keep the poison in Sydney at Lucas Heights where they make it. We have been saying that all along. We don't want the poison in trucks, driving along any road. It's just too dangerous.
Manta winki — the whole country has the Tjukur — the Dreaming. One Australia — it was whitefellas who cut it up on a map, made the borders. No difference between Coober Pedy and Alice Springs. Northern Territory and South Australia. It's all the same country and we gotta look after it. The whole lot.
We are making a book that will be ready soon about our fight to stop the dump. All our words, the letters we wrote, and pictures of everywhere we went to talk against the dump. We were fighting for a long time but it was worth it to look after our beautiful desert country. We are making the book for all our kids to learn how to fight for the country. You fellas in the Northern Territory can read the book and learn too. And your kids.
Be strong like us. Don't be scared of the government. We weren't scared and we are elderly ladies!
From Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, August 3, 2005.
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