Djukun Nation Calls for Inclusion: A Response to Aarnja’s Exclusion of the Djukun People

Aarnja Foundation Future Fund: Cultural Governance Model.

The Djukun Nation is concerned following the exclusion of the Djukun from the newly launched Aarnja Foundation Future Fund and the associated Cultural Governance Model. This decision is deeply upsetting and has direct negative impacts on the Djukun Nation.

Aarnja’s Cultural Governance Model identifies regions of the Kimberley and the traditional owners who have a claim to the land within those regions. Under the ‘Dampier Peninsula/Western Kimberley’ region, several nations are identified, including Yawuru. Despite Yawuru and the Djukun being joint traditional custodians of Jirr-Ngin-Ngan (Broome), the Djukun are missing from the Model.

The Cultural Governance Model informs a central criteria for access to grants under the new Aarnja Foundation Future Fund. Each of the available grants require a potential recipient to have ‘connection to a cultural bloc as defined by Aarnja’s Cultural Governance Model’ to be eligible.’ The lack of recognition in the Dampier Peninsula/Western Kimberley block therefore has the effect of rendering the Djukun Nation ineligible; denying access to the proposed grants which relate to a range of areas, including education.  

Despite Aarnja’s website stating that it is

“the Regional Body for Kimberley Aboriginal People, Our vision is to empower Kimberley Aboriginal people, communities and organisations to have a strong Aboriginal identity and share in all of the social and economic opportunities of modern society. Our mission is to work with all parties to create innovative and sustainable opportunities that empower Kimberley Aboriginal people”.

The Djukun have been left out of Aarnja’s cultural governance structure. This contradicts Aarnja’s claim of inclusivity and representation. The decision raises questions about fairness, especially when other Native Title groups across the Kimberley have been included.

The Aarnja Board of Directors is made up of a diverse group of people from across the Kimberley and Australia which ought to assist in the acknowledgment and representation of all traditional owners in the Kimberley region. As such, we ask the Aarnja Board of Directors: Why have you excluded the Djukun and not others?

Members of the Djukun Nation attended a launch event for the Aarnja Foundation Future Fund on 18 February 2025 in Broome. Similar to the exclusion of the Djukun Nation from the Cultural Governance Model, the Djukun were also not consulted or represented in the Welcome to Country Ceremony which was led by representatives of Yawuru.

The Aarnja Board of Directors—who presumably voted in favour of the enacted Cultural Governance Model—must explain why the Djukun, the rightful custodians of Djukun Country (Jirr-Ngin-Ngan), have been excluded from the Cultural Governance Model.

In response to this injustice, the Djukun Nation has sent a formal letter to the Aarnja Board of Directors, raising the above concerns and calling for immediate action to amend the Cultural Governance Model. The letter also highlights the lack of Djukun representation in Welcome to Country ceremonies at Aarnja events, despite Djukun being traditional custodians of the land.

The exclusion of the Djukun from funding opportunities, decision-making processes, and cultural recognition is a clear denial of their rightful place in the Kimberley region’s governance.

The Aarnja Board of Directors must be held accountable for its decision to vote in favour of a governance model that excludes the Djukun people despite their status as traditional owners. The Djukun people are the rightful custodians of this Country and deserve the same opportunities as other groups within the Kimberley.

The Djukun Nation invites community members, organisations, and allies to support this call for justice. To learn more about the Djukun and their ongoing efforts to protect their cultural heritage, visit Djukun Nation Website.

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