ABOUT 80 people opposed to a radioactive waste dump at Muckaty Station near Tennant Creek protested yesterday in front of the Northern Land Council and Parliament House.

Muckaty Land Trust member and Yapa Yapa elder Diane Stokes led the protest.

She challenged the Ngapa people who approved the deal to prove their culture through dance and ceremony.

"The dancing is with the group who says yes," she said.

"We want to see their ceremony, we want to see their culture."

LHMU secretary Matthew Gardiner said unions would consider work bans if the dump was approved. He attacked the federal minister responsible for the dump, Martin Ferguson - a former head of the LHMU.

"As a former union official he should know any agreement should be done through proper negotiation, as opposed to forcing things through because you can," he said.

Environment centre co-ordinator Stuart Blanch said the facility would be a "Trojan horse" and would later be expanded to take high-level waste.

Ms Stokes also told the NLC to "back off" representing their country, in the wake of the NLC's nomination of Muckaty Station. She said she wanted to be represented by the Central Land Council.