Indigenous woman from QLD wins global environmental award
A young indigenous woman from far north Queensland has won a global award for environmental protection. She's rallied grassroots campaigns against mining on traditional land, earning worldwide attention.
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00:00Protecting land and legacy gives meaning to Marawa Johnson's life.
00:07Now, she's won the International Goldman Award for Grassroots Environmentalists.
00:12It comes with US$150,000 in prize money and is awarded in six regions of the world.
00:20She's been recognised in the Island Nations category for her work campaigning against the Carmichael coalmine
00:26and blocking Clive Palmer's proposed Waratah coalmine in the Queensland Land Court.
00:31What climate change really means and the negative impacts of it really mean for our people
00:36is permanently dispossessing us of country because that country just isn't there anymore.
00:42It was the first time that cultural evidence about the impacts of climate change
00:48on country and culture has been heard on countries.
00:52Marawa and the group successfully argued through dozens of traditional owner witnesses
00:57that the effects of the coalmine would negatively impact their ability to practice culture and tradition on country.
01:04While the Goldman Prize is a huge honour, Marawa was unable to travel to the USA for the ceremony
01:10with baby number two not far away.
01:13I have so many ideas for new litigation but I think at this time I'm taking my time to consider
01:20how I'm going to be able to make the most of this opportunity.
01:26Many battles still to fight for future generations.