KMAC official office opening
A proud moment for the K&M people when more than 50 members of the community joined elders and delegates to celebrate the official opening of the KMAC office on 27th May 2015.
The occasion marks a significant milestone for KMAC which has only been operating for two years. Pansy Hicks officiated the Welcome to Country and Elder and KMAC founding member Cyril Lockyer gave a narrated account of the journey.
The long passage towards gaining Native Title began in the mid-1990s for the K&M people with the first claim being put forward for the Robe River area near Pannawonica.
“We have come a long way since first starting negotiations, with barely enough money to scrape together a packet of biscuits for our meetings near the old tourist bureau in Roebourne…” said Cyril.
What started off as a very small organisation with little resources and staff has grown into the KMAC of today
with a corporate board and professional staff filling a variety of roles. All of this has been achieved with the common vision of service and moving the K&M people towards a self-determined future.
“Now today we have moved into the corporate world, with 10-15 people working for us in areas from administration right through to project management. We are so proud of what we’ve achieved…”
Cyril Lockyer
KMAC Board Director Josie Alec believes that Native Title recognition for K&M people is not far away after more than two decades of fighting,
“To know we’ve got something for our mob. That would be the best feeling in the world…” (Josie to the West Australian).
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