▁at ▁the ▁time ). ▁Y ol ŋ u ▁made ▁contact ▁with ▁Australian ▁and ▁US ▁serv ic emen , ▁although ▁Thom son ▁was ▁keen ▁to ▁prevent ▁this . ▁( It ▁is ▁believed ▁this ▁is ▁where ▁pet rol ▁sn iff ing ▁began ▁for ▁Ab original ▁Austral ians ). ▁Thom son ▁rel ates ▁how ▁the ▁soldiers ▁would ▁often ▁try ▁to ▁obtain ▁Y ol ŋ u ▁spe ars ▁as ▁m ement os . ▁These ▁spe ars ▁were ▁vital ▁to ▁Y ol ŋ u ▁liv elihood , ▁and ▁took ▁several ▁days ▁to ▁make ▁and ▁for ge . ▁ ▁More ▁recently , ▁Y ol ng u ▁have ▁seen ▁the ▁im position ▁of ▁large ▁mines ▁on ▁their ▁trib al ▁lands ▁at ▁N h ul un bu y . ▁ ▁Y ol ng u ▁in ▁politics ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁Y ol ng u ▁leaders ▁have ▁been ▁consp ic uous ▁in ▁the ▁struggle ▁for ▁Ab original ▁land ▁rights . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁prov oked ▁by ▁a ▁un il ater al ▁government ▁decision ▁to ▁exc ise ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁land ▁for ▁a ▁b aux ite ▁mine , ▁Y ol ng u ▁at ▁Y ir r k ala ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁Australian ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁a ▁pet ition ▁on ▁b ark . ▁The ▁b ark ▁pet ition ▁attract ed ▁national ▁and ▁international ▁attention ▁and ▁now ▁hang s ▁in ▁Parliament ▁House , ▁Can ber ra ▁as ▁a ▁test ament ▁to ▁the ▁Y ol ng u ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁rights