Aboriginal People of the Swan ValleyPrint Page

The cross and plaque commemorate the memory of the original Aboriginal people who lived in the Swan Valley. The plaque was dedicated in 1993; the United Nations Year Of The World`s Indigenous Peoples.

The Noongar Aboriginal people of the Wadjuk tribe, the traditional landowners of the Swan Valley, have inhabited this region for over 40,000 years. According to Noongar beliefs, a Dreamtime serpent, the Wagyl, once travelled across the country, carving out the Swan Valley and the Swan River and still lives deep within the Swan River today. 

In December 1992 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution to make 1993 the International Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples.

The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples was first pronounced by the UN General Assembly in December 1994, to be celebrated every year during the first International Decade of the World`s Indigenous Peoples (1995–2004). In 2004, the Assembly proclaimed a Second International Decade, from 2005–2015, with the theme of "A Decade for Action and Dignity". People from different nations are encouraged to participate in observing the day to spread the UN's message on indigenous peoples. Activities may include educational forums and classroom activities to gain an appreciation and a better understanding of indigenous peoples.

By resolution 49/214 of 23 December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World's Indigenous People shall be observed on 9 August every year during the International Decade of the World's Indigenous People. The date marks the day of the first meeting, in 1982, of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.

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Dedication