The long-standing Wakaya Alyawarre (Repeat) Land claim in the Barkly region of the Northern Territory has been finalised, with legislation passing federal parliament on Wednesday, 44 years after the claim was first lodged.
The amendment to the Northern Territory's Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976 (Land Rights Act) will allow Traditional Owners to be granted more than 484,000 hectares of land, located approximately 275km south-east of Tennant Creek.
The Central Land Council first lodged the Wakaya Alyawarre Land Claim 42 in 1980, and the legislation was welcomed by Traditional Owners.
Eileen Bonney, the most senior surviving claimant to the land around the remote NT community, said she was happy the resolution to the claim occurred "while I'm still living".
"I am happy to see this settled for my children and all our families," Ms Bonney said.
"It's happened at last. I'm still here. I was strong, now I got weaker. I'm still right."
Since the first claim was lodged, Traditional Owners have won back two parcels of the original claim area whilst agreeing to withdraw the Canteen Creek township area from the rest.
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The Land Council (CLC) said in order to settle the Wakaya-Alyawarre (Repeat) Land Claim No. 130, Traditional Owners consented to an agreement between the CLC and the NT Government to surrender native title rights to the Canteen Creek township area.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said the legislation demonstrated the government's "commitment to progressing unresolved land claims" in the NT, as well as "increasing First Nations rights and interests in land and sea Country".
"This is a significant milestone for Traditional Owners in the Barkly region and other First Nations people with interest in the land," the Yanyuwa Garrawa Senator said.
"Traditional Owners have been pursuing land rights for many decades through their land claim.
"This legislation recognises the enduring connection of the people of Wakaya and Alyawarre groups with the land associated with Emu Dreaming and many other Dreamings."
The CLC said the Indigenous Land Use agreement was the outcome of "exhaustive consultations" over many years, which had the support of native title holders and Canteen Creek residents.
It grants ordinary freehold title to some parts of the town to the local Aboriginal land holding body, the Canteen Creek Landholding Aboriginal Corporation.
The Wakaya-Alyawarre (Repeat) land claim is one of the CLC's last two outstanding claims under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, with the Land Council having now "won: back more than half of the land in the southern NT for Traditional Owners.
Ms Bonney said she was looking forward to the hand back ceremony in the New Year.
"The traditional owners all wanted to get this done for a long time," she said.
"Too many of us have died waiting for this day."
