More than 1000 people make up the Kimberley Dambimangari community. Although the location of the community has been fragmented by government policy and history, the essential traditions and identity remain. Most Dambimangari people live in the Kimberley town of Derby or the nearby settlement of Mowanjum, where the Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation manages health, education and social support programs.
The corporation is led by a Board of 10 directors –
- Gary Umbagai (Chairman)
- Kallum Mungulu (Vice-Chair)
- Leah Umbagai
- Kirsty Burgu
- Marilee Liddell
- Rowena Mouda
- Cecilia Umbagai
- Francis Woolagoodja
- Pete O’Connor
- Stamatis Skiadas
The Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation uses funds from Native Title agreements and business investments to provide
- Business development
- Employment and training initiatives
- Subsidised medical and health services
- Education support and collaboration with tertiary education campuses
- Household goods for Dambimangari people and
- Funding for hardship relief
The Corporation is creating opportunities for its members to return to country in the Dambimangari Native Title Determination area north of Derby. One of the key objectives of the group’s work is the development of a new generation of leaders to preserve their language and culture.
Native Title
A Native Title claim was lodged by the Dambimangari people in 1998 and was determined by consent in 2011. The decision recognised the Dambimangari people’s connection to coastal lands and hinterland between the Robinson and Prince Regent Rivers. The determination includes large areas of exclusive and non-exclusive native title over Dambimangari land and sea country.
