In a Historic Moment, Kakadu is Handed Back to the Traditional Owners
Hundreds of kilometres outside of Darwin, hundreds of people gathered to witness a historic moment. A large, almost 10,000 square kilometre slice of Kakadu National Park was finally recognised as Aboriginal land. It has been a long and hard fought achievement with some Traditional Owners having waited for this moment since 1977. The Kakadu Region Land Claim is now about half of the World Heritage-listed national park, (NITV News, 2022).
There were over a dozen Aboriginal clans who celebrated the historic moment and amongst them was senior Murumburr Traditional Owner Violet Lawson who spoke to NITV News (2022) and said:
"I feel proud, I'm happy. I've got my family here, my grand kids, my niece and I'm happy that they came and supported me, for all of our family.”
"I'd like to thank everybody for coming along to be here for our people, my people."
This transfer of ownership will allow the Traditional Owners the ability to negotiate long-term lease payments for Kakadu National Park so that visitors can continue to experience the park, (NITV News, 2022).
Jeffery Lee, a Djok man who speaks for a parcel of land known as Koongarra, one of Kakadu’s most visited attractions said this when speaking with NITV News (2022).:
"I feel really happy today from all those years and finally we’re there.”
Aboriginal people from Kakadu and Parks Australia are in a Supreme Court battle over a walking track that was built near a sacred site. Mr Lee, who lives in the park, has high hopes for the future thanks to this historic moment. Kakadu plays a large part in the tourism industry and Mr Lee says there is a lot of opportunity for them as the Traditional Owners, (NITV News, 2022).
A joyous occasion as the land was finaly given back. Courtesy of Guy McLean, NITV, 2022.
The Northern Land Council represents the interests of Traditional Owners and works with land claim applicants on their journey. When speaking with NITV News (2022), the Northern Land Council Chairman Samuel Bush-Blanasi said:
“For too long there have been two classes of land in Kakadu National Park – Aboriginal land and other land ‘subject to Aboriginal land claim’. Today that has been fixed once and for all time."
“This land that has been returned is the traditional country of the Limilngan/Minitja, Murumburr, Garndidjbal, Yurlkmanj, Wurngomgu, Bolmo, Wurrkbarbar, Matjba, Uwinymil, Bunidj, Djindibi, Mirrar Gundjeihmi and Dadjbaku peoples.”
On the same day as this historic moment, another ceremony was held 100 kilometres south of Katherine as land in the Roper River region was returned to Aboriginal owners.
Ken Wyatt attended both events. Courtesy of Guy McLean, NITV, 2022.
Ken Wyatt, the Indigenous Affairs Minister and Noongar man, attended both events and praised the patience and perseverance of the people who had waited so long for this moment. He hopes that the Northern Territory’s remaining land claims can be resolved much quicker, (NITV News, 2022). He said this to NITV News (2022):
“There’s about 20 altogether, they're smaller parcels of land but I want to work through completing those so they are back in the hands of different Aboriginal communities."
It has been a long and hard battle for the traditional owners of Kakadu but it brought joy to many people to see the land finally handed back. The Traditional Owners are now able to manage the land properly and there is hope that other Traditional Owners will soon be able to do the same, (NITV News, 2022).