Two Indigenous elders say they were saddened and offended to be denied free entry to the Falls Creek resort area during a recent visit to carry out cultural business and ceremonies.
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In response, the Falls Creek Alpine Resort Management Board noted the "contested nature" of the location's Aboriginal heritage but said it remained open to working with Traditional Owners.
Roderick McLeod and Goengallajumma Bazil McLeod, of the Jaithmathang Mittung Traditional Owner Group, visited the region from Sydney last month and said they had planned to conduct mapping on their ancestral mountain country.
North East Catchment Management Authority Aboriginal water policy officer Jida Gulpilil facilitated the weekend visit and emailed Falls Creek Resort chief executive Stuart Smythe the afternoon before, seeking reassurance no fees would be expected and offering to deliver a Welcome Ceremony.
The Border Mail understands there is no current native title claim or determination over the area and the resort provides a general acknowledgement of Traditional Owners without naming groups or having Welcome to Country ceremonies.
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Roderick McLeod said the chief executive's response "brought a complete insult onto the many years of building good cultural and professional relationships across the regional alpine community".
"A number of people in the wider community outside of our ... group who have worked tirelessly on both Falls Creek and Mt Hotham Resorts were also upset and apologetic of the approach the CEO took on such a very sensitive issue," he said.
Mr Smythe said the board "is sensitive to the contested nature of its location with respect to its Aboriginal heritage and is open to working with Traditional Owners in the area to further understand and recognise local Aboriginal culture".
"We welcome the opportunity to meet with representatives from Jaithmathang Mittung Traditional Owners Group and learn more about what the group were discussing and their involvement in projects across the alpine region," he said.
The elders spent the weekend at Howmans Gap Alpine Centre looking over maps.
Camp manager Michael Jowett said the resort's response was unexpected, but he hoped it was a misunderstanding arising from a request at short notice made during a busy time.
"In many ways this has actually opened up a really unique opportunity for further truth telling and for the respectful acknowledgement of the First Nations people and their long history in our region," Mr Jowett said.
