Aboriginals Taking Snakes from The Wild - Allowed or Not?

[rodentrancher]

Just wondering whether people of Aboriginal descent are allowed to do this? I have been told by someone that they are allowed to do it on their so-called tribal land? Sounds like BS to me. Cheers Cheryl

 

[munkee]

I think yes provided that it is a native food. Like file snakes are eaten by aboriginals, they couldn't collect them and sell them.

 

[rodentrancher]

No, I mean to catch and keep as a pet

 

[peterescue]

Pretty broad question there Cheryl. They are allowed to collect traditional food and materials. There may be other provisions that allow them to do other things. You would need to check with each state and territory.
Whats does snake taste like anyway? Well blackhead python tastes a lot like charcoal.
Dont think this thread is going to last long.

 

[rodentrancher]

Its just that someone of Aboriginal descent told me they had caught a big Woma(not from around here), and that because of this they are allowed to keep them without a permit. Cheers Cheryl

 

[NinaPeas]

Would an aboriginal want to keep a snake as a pet? (as opposed to eating it?)

Maybe if he actually lived in traditional ways, and was actually going to eat the snake as a matter of survival. If they can just take from the wild, there is nothing to say they couldn't just sell them illegally. There are probably thousands of people of aboriginal decent, that would be lots of snakes missing!

 

[rodentrancher]

This bloke looks pretty white, but claims a percentage of Aboriginal blood. What percent I have no idea! LOL!! He told me he has the snake!! Should I report it?

 

[ad]

In Charters Towers, People of aboriginal descent are shooting Flying Foxes because they are causing problems with thier noise etc. If they use 'traditional rights' to rid a pest - Im sure they could do it to keep a pet.
They still use 'Traditional Rights' to hunt Turtles and Dugong - even with non-traditional outboard motors.
Ad

 

[NinaPeas]

rodent: I would at least ring someone and just enquire about it. The laws are there to protect the snakes, and us. I dont think the snake will be too happy about being poached! hehe

 

[flavirufus]

Would an aboriginal want to keep a snake as a pet? (as opposed to eating it?)

An Aboriginal person down here in Adelaide wants to buy a carpet python from me so, yes, they do keep them as pets. Most are at least a bit scared of them though. Up north, people still eat womas, but they'd much prefer a good perenty (even non-traditional people love them).
Matt

 

[NinaPeas]

I dont have anything agaisnt people eating native animals if its in a survival situation, but using your heritage as an excuse to take things out of the wild is just wrong.

 

[Kersten]

Dont think this thread is going to last long.

I give it less than a day....

They can take as many as they want and keep them for whatever purposes they wish in Queensland. I'm not sure about whether or not they can sell any offspring, but I would assume they can. Kris was told this by a QPWS ranger who was also of aboriginal descent.

 

[NinaPeas]

They can take as many as they want and keep them for whatever purposes they wish in Queensland.

Is that only for people of aboriginal decent? Or do you have to be a 'full blooded' aboriginal?

 

[imported_Varanus]

My partner is a full-blood Kwini woman from the northern Kimberley region and snakes of any kind have never been on the menu. Depends entirely on an individuals totem; her's is a water monitor, so these are off limits but others can and do eat them with impunity! I've had some myself,but wouldn't recommend any reptile-they don't taste"a bit like chicken" at all-much better off alive IMO!! Many people still live traditional lifestyles in certain regions and supplementing an otherwise impoverished "white-fella" diet (lollies,damper,etc) is of fundamental importance! I agree, bit of a generalist question,but valid for many I guess.

Cheers,

Varanus.

 

[NinaPeas]

I didn't realise aboriginals had totems! That's awesome! I though it was the tribe as a whole that had one.

 

[ether]

People should refer to the Yanner v Eaton [1999] case, this will give you some idea about what Native Title and such allows aboriginals to do with natural fauna.

 

[imported_Varanus]

Hey Miss Peas ,

Sillys (Sylvias) brothers and sisters all have a different totem (8 in all) and, for Kwini people at least, the origin of your totem depends on what happened/significant events during your mothers pregnancy. Nice way of looking at the world I reckon!

 

[NinaPeas]

So do you know why her's is the perenti? or is it something that should't be discussed?

 

[munkee]

So can they pick up an animal and keep it as a pet? I wouldn't have thoughts so.

 

[AntaresiaLady]

I wrote an awesome poem about an Aboriginal man...should post it here one day.

And I would assume that in times gone by, that they wouldn't have 'kept' animals as pets (since most of the animals they caught for food or to make clothing). I believe that native title should allow them to hunt as they would have back before colonisation, but not to be able to remove wildlife to do anything other than what they would have done with it back then.
If that makes sense.

I have a friend who is full blood,(well as full blood as you can get - I believe theres only one white person in his heritage) he was born and raised on a 'reservation'. He believes that all the native title stuff is crazy, his people don't believe the land even belongs to them...they just lived on it...Thats where the problem lies. There are many people claiming that the land 'belongs' to them...when many of them have stories that say that they were just 'living' on the land. That doesn't give automatic ownership (just ask any squatter!).And when people claim native title to a land, that land should be used as it would have been used before white man stepped on it.

'The opinions expressed above in bold and italics are NOT mine- so please don't flame me for them. I won't disclose my friends name, as he is in politics and has asked me not to. I do have permission to post his opinion though.

I think its a real big can of worms personally.


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