PAMA FUTURES

Pama Futures is a single cohesive reform agenda incorporating Land Rights, Empowerment and Economic Development for the people of Cape York, by the people of Cape York. Pama Futures represents the best chance we have to close the gap on Indigenous disparity in our region. It represents the distillation of everything the Cape York people have argued for almost two decades.

Traditional Owners

Communities

Languages

WHAT OUR OLD PEOPLE STARTED, WE WILL FINISH

Cape York people have shared a vision for many generations. A vision of Cape York Indigenous people empowered and flourishing.

Like our old people before us, there have been big gatherings since 2015 to talk about how to to make our lives better, but solidly over the past 18 months Cape York people have gathered, listened, spoken, and in some instances loudly debated the steps towards our empowerment. It is a robust conversation. Such is the nature of transformation.

Since August 2017, there have been three Cape York Summits, multiple co-design labs, report back and discussions in every Cape York community, presentations and meetings with Cape York Aboriginal corporations and Councils, and many conversations between the mob about how we will progress our shared vision.

We may debate the many ways to progress, but make no mistake, WE are UNITED in the stubborn belief that WE WILL PROGRESS.

FOLLOW THE JOURNEY

PAMA IS THE WORD FOR THE ORIGINAL PEOPLES OF CAPE YORK PENINSULA.

It was the word for human beings at a time when there were only Aboriginal people in Australia. Since the arrival of white people, Pamahas come to only apply to Aboriginal people and various words like Wangarr in the Guugu Yimidhirr language – white ghost – denote white people.

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RESOLUTIONS

Cape York First Nations gathered in December 2018 to discuss the reforms needed to change their future. The group of more than 300 Pama together made 20 resolutions to action immediately.

CLICK HERE TO THE RESOLUTIONS

The time has come

The time has now come for our Cape York reform agenda to move beyond pilots and trials and for Pama Futures to become the new way forward for the social, economic and cultural development of the First Nations of Cape York Peninsula.

Our organisational capability has grown exponentially since we began this agenda and the necessity for us to move from trial phase to a comprehensive implementation phase has been pressing upon us for some years now.

There has been an obvious need for us to move from trials and pilots to an unequivocal adoption of the reform agenda indicated by the outcomes of these trials.

Now is the time. The time has come for us to bring the whole agenda together and move forward in partnership with our people and with governments.

WHY PAMA FUTURES

OUR VOICES UNITED

The people of Cape York want to control their future. They want Pama Futures.

Across the summits, the design labs, and the community visits, the people of Cape York spoke as one.

We want empowerment. We want control over the services delivered in our communities.

We want to be supported to develop our economic development priorities.

We want only the Traditional Owners to speak for and make decisions for their land.

We want PAMA Futures.

MORE VOICES

KEITHEAN BOWEN

HOPE VALE

I just want to support everyone on the road ahead. This is my first Summit and I can see from 27 years ago to here now, it’s a great achievement. I’ve been talking to my grandfather, I’ve not known about this much before but I’d like to carry it on.

JASMINE ACCOOM

LOCKHART RIVER

We’re trying to move forward. So I agree with the Cape York united movement, I want everyone to work together, we can get out and talk about our rights.

MARGARET GEBADI

SEISIA

As a community member, it is very frustrating in the sense that they provide these fundings but with programs that come with the hat really don’t suit us and the community and it’s always about what they think is best for us and not what is best and right for us as people.

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THE ROAD AHEAD

Work is ongoing

Every sub-region will move into implementation in 2018 but this does not mean that the co-design and planning phase is over.

Indeed, grassroots planning will be an ongoing focus to iterate sub-regional and regional plans. Ongoing participation and planning must be owned at that local level.