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The '''AnanguA<u>n</u>angu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981''' grants certain land and other rights to the [[Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara|A<u>n</u>angu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara]] (the people of the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara dialects) in [[South Australia]].
The Act began its life as the '''Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act''' and commenced operation on 2 October 1981. Symbolically, the Act came into force on the one-year anniversary of the date when Premier [[David Tonkin]] and the Chairman of the Pitjantjatjara Council, Mr [[Kawaki Thompson]], signed their agreement to athe Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Bill.
== History ==
</blockquote>
<blockquote>'Helped by their solicitors', the Pit Council concluded that they should 'avoid imposing an alien notion like trusteeship': [(Cocks, 66, 68]). The solution was vesting title in a new entity of which all Pitjantjatjara people would be members. It appears that the aboriginal people had been convinced that they needed the 'fee simple' to their lands. They wanted something superior to the communal title arrangements which had been granted by the [[Fraser Government]] under the [[Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976]] (the 'NT Act').
</blockquote>
<blockquote>In November 1978, Dunstan introduced a Bill which adopted most of the recommendations of the Working Party. In his second reading speech Dunstan did not disguise that he was seeking a wider audience than his Parliamentary colleagues and the indigenous people of the north-west.</blockquote>
The Commonwealth Government's "Documenting Democracy" site states that aA Parliamentary Committee investigated the merits of such a Bill, and reported in 1979 in favour of an Act that would give total rights to the Pitjantjatjara people over their traditional land in the northwest of [[South Australia]].
Lawson continues:
<blockquote>...the provisions of this Bill will give South Australians an honourable place in international eyes with regard to the relation of Government to the treatment and status of ethnic minorities. </blockquote>The Bill had not passed when Labor lost office in September 1979, Dunstan having resigned in February of that year.
<blockquote>In October 1980, the Tonkin Liberal government introduced an amended Billbill after a long period of negotiations , in which Premier Tonkin took a leading and personal role. The earlier Billbill was said to be 'unworkable', especially in its dealing with issues relating to exploration and mining. The new Billbill finally passed through both Houses in March 1981. ▼
<blockquote>The Bill had not passed when Labor lost office in September 1979, Dunstan having resigned in February of that year.
</blockquote>
▲<blockquote>In October 1980, the Tonkin Liberal government introduced an amended Bill after a long period of negotiations in which Premier Tonkin took a leading and personal role. The earlier Bill was said to be 'unworkable', especially in its dealing with issues relating to exploration and mining. The new Bill finally passed through both Houses in March 1981.
</blockquote>
== Significance ==
== Geographical Scope ==
The land grant of all AnanguA<u>n</u>angu Pitjantjatjara Yankunyjatjara land is dated 30 October 1981 and covers an area of about 102,650 square kilometres, or about 10.4% of the State.<ref>''Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981 (SA)'', Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements Project, University of Melbourne, http://www.atns.net.au/agreement.asp?EntityID=3634&SubjectMatter=21, retrieved 13 April 2015</ref>
The westerly section that comprises over half the APY Lands was formerly the [[North West Aboriginal Reserve]], first proclaimed in 1921. Other former leaseholdpastoral lease land, formerly known as Everard Park, Kenmore Park and [[Granite Downs|Granite Downs,]] are included in the lands.<ref>[http://www.bennelong.com.au/conferences/conference2003/Lawson2003.php Robert Lawson QC MLC, Address to Bennelong Society 2003 Conference;]</ref>
== See also ==
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