Yvonne Margarula

Yvonne Margarula (* 20th century, in the Northern Territory , Australia ) is an Elder of the Aboriginal clans of Mirarr-Gundheihmi , the 1998 International Environment Award of the Friends of the Earth and the Nuclear-Free Future Award was given, as well as the 1999 US Goldman Environmental Prize with Jacqui Katona in recognition of her achievements in protecting her land and culture against uranium mining in Australia .

Protest actions

As Elder des Mirarr, Yvonne Margarula has to pass on the habits and spiritual life of her clan to the coming generations and she is the protector of her traditional country. The Mirarr hold land rights to the Jabiluka uranium mine and the Ranger uranium mine . The Mirarr and Bininj Aboriginal people have dreamtime trails through this area. At the uranium mine is the Kakadu National Park , a UNESCO- recognized world cultural and natural heritage .

The Aborigines of the Mirarr, organized by Margarula and Katona, carried out a major campaign against the planned uranium mine Jabiluka in the Northern Territory . They organized legal actions and carried out reconnaissance with national and international support as well as massive sit-in blocks as civil disobedience , whereby in March 1988 they carried out one of the largest sit-ins in the history of Australia together with the Mirarr and environmental organizations . Over the course of several months, approximately 5,000 people from Australia and around the world traveled to the remote Kamp to protest with the Mirarr. In July, the site was cleared for Energy Resources of Australia and construction of the mine began, but numerous people protested and intervened and around 550 people were arrested, including Margarula, Katona and 55 clan members.

See also

• Anti-nuclear movement in Australia

Web links

• Lindsay Murdoch: Kakadu being poisoned by Rio Tinto mine, group warns on Brisbanetimes

Individual evidence

1. ^ Echoes from the Poisoned Well . Retrieved February 16, 2011
2. ^ Yvonne Margarula, Australia . Retrieved February 16, 2011
3. ↑ Craig Reihus: Award Yvonne Margarula ( Memento of the original from December 16, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved February 16, 2011 
4. ↑ The Basis for Mirarr Opposition to Uranium Mining on www.mirarr.net ( Memento of the original from February 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved February 16, 2011  
5. ↑ Goldman Environmental Prize ( Memento of the original from February 19, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved February 16, 2011  
6. ^ Who's Who of Women and the Environment . Retrieved February 16, 2011
7. ↑ Broken Promises: Land Rights, Mining and the Mirrar People . Retrieved February 16, 2011