Newara Aboriginal Corporation land buy back: Anaiwan people launch crowdfunding campaign to buy back traditional land

That's what Anaiwan people are asking for, unbridled access to country to practice culture, share stories, dance traditional dances and speak their language the way their ancestors have done since time immemorial.

What started with a group of dedicated locals who wanted to awaken their sleeping language has grown into the Newara Aboriginal Corporation, part-led by proud Anaiwan man David Widders.

"It has been frustrating to get access to our country, if I want to take a men's camp with sons and nephews on country I have to tick boxes with the University of New England, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services and private landowners," he said.

"For me as a dad and an Anaiwan man, I should have every right to teach my kids about our culture, the way we have done for thousands of years, without red tape and bureaucracy."

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The group has launched a crowdfunding campaign to buy back around a 40 hectare block of bushland.

The goal is to be able to take Aboriginal kwanga [children] in out-of-home-care on cultural camps, to host gatherings for men's and women's business and to learn to grow and harvest native medicines.

Anaiwan Country covers nearly half of the New England tableland, but today Anaiwan people own less than 0.1 per cent of traditional lands.

Mr Widders said it's about doing what's right.

"We look back at a history of country that was taken forcibly, unjustly," he said.

"Aboriginal people can contribute to something that's really positive and be future focused and future driven, to get access to our own country would be a dream.

"It's land we can call our own, we were custodians of the land so the word 'own' has never been in our vocabulary.

"Our responsibilities are to look after it, respect it, maintain native flora and fauna and regenerate that."

The property will cost between $350,000 and $450,000, and the group has already raised $20,000.

They hope the campaign will secure a place for Anaiwan people to learn about and celebrate their culture for generations to come.

To donate visit chuffed.org/project/anaiwanlandbuyback.

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