Oil exploration and seismic testing off the coast of the Bight will literally destroy one of the few remaining whale nurseries left on planet Earth. It will industrialize one of the most pristine coastlines in the world that is currently unspoilt with no factories or cites. If there is an oil spill it will destroy the entire southern coast line, including Tasmania. The oil spill will kill everything in its path, including: seals, penguins, seahorses, dolphins, turtles, endangered species of sea lions and all marine life. In an era where the human race is evolving from our dependency on fossil fuels, this is an unacceptable and blatant disregard for life.
Mirning People Call for Help to Protect their Sea Country and Whales
When an Elder of the Mirning people presented Julian Lennon with a white feather during the filming of Whaledreamers, they did not know what an inspiration this would be for him. In turn, Julian may not have known what strength the film would give to the Mirning people during this past decade of fighting for their country.
Julian Lennon receiving The White Feather from Mirning Elders Iris Burgoyne and Bunna Lawrie. The feather is from their most sacred bird the white cockatoo, which the Mirning call Cakalayeli. They also gifted Julian wooden carved clapsticks made from their native tree. They are used to keep the beat for song and dance, and are also a spiritual guardian gift from the Mirning country.
Now is the time for us all to act in response to the Mirning people’s call for help. This is the reason The White Feather Foundation started. Let’s stand together for The Conservation of Life!
“We are the Whale Dreaming tribe of the Nullarbor and Great Australian Bight, the home of this planet’s greatest whale nursery and sanctuary. For over 60,000 years we have been custodians of this land and sea. In the 1950’s the Australian government declared the Mirning people extinct and relocated another tribe onto our land.
The government formed a corporation, made agreements with mining companies and have been using native title to take our freedom to protect our sacred homeland. Now they are trying to take our sea country, home of our totem and family the whale. The mining company this time is Equinor (Statoil) who is proposing very risky oil drilling in the pristine Great Australian Bight.
Even without funding, our Mirning Elders have never stopped fighting and now need your help to have the voice of our Mirning people heard. We now urgently need funding so that an anthropologist can be hired to prove to the court that we are the authentic people of our country. We wish to record this amazing cultural heritage and sacred country, so this can benefit future generations. We are at risk of losing one of our planet’s oldest cultures and our planet’s greatest whale sanctuary.
Please support us in protecting our sea country and our planet’s greatest whale nursery and sanctuary!”
– Mirning Senior Elder Gnumbunna Bunna Rupert Lawrie
Take Action!
#TWFFStopOil #ConserveLife
