Walya Ngamardiki: The Land My Mother poster

Walya Ngamardiki: The Land My Mother(1978)

Name: Walya Ngamardiki: The Land My Mother
Director: David Roberts
Genre: Documentary
Released: 1978-01-01
Duration: 19 min
Cast: Bob Maza, Silas Roberts, David Gulpilil, Pincher Numiari, Nelson Jabanunga

Bob Maza Silas Roberts David Gulpilil Pincher Numiari Nelson Jabanunga

Exploring the relationship between Aboriginal people and their land (including the Dreaming, sacred places), this film was inspired by Silas Roberts’ submission to the 1976 Australian Government inquiry on uranium mining - the Ranger Uranium Environmental Inquiry. Silas, whose tribal name is Ngourladi, is an elder of the Allawa clan and was the first chairman of the Northern Land Council, established to assist Aboriginal people make land rights claims based on traditional ownership. The film, which moves from Arnhem Land in the north to Yuendumu in the centre, examines the importance of maintaining Aboriginal culture and laws and explains the reasons why they object to the mining being carried out.