After more than 40 years of fighting to have Country returned to the Wakaya and Alyawarre peoples, Eileen Bonney was pretty happy to hold the deed of grant in her hands.
In 1980, the Central Land Council lodged a land claim on behalf of Wakaya and Alyawarre people in the Barkly region of the Northern Territory.
In November, after years of negotiation, legal proceedings and consultations, the Australian Parliament passed legislation to enable the governor-general to sign the deed of grant for the area covering more than 400,000 hectares.
On Wednesday, Traditional Owners including Eileen Bonney, the most senior surviving claimant, celebrated the official handback of their Country.
“I’m feeling happy to get this title," Ms Bonney said.
"I waited a long time when I was young.
"I kept talking and kept fighting until I got old. And now it’s going to happen."
Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy officially handed back the land to Traditional Owners, presenting them with the deed of grant.
"Today we celebrate that the law now reflects the Wakaya and Alyawarre peoples’ right to own and control their traditional lands," she said.
It was one of the longest standing land claims in the Northern Territory.
Traditional Owners had received two of three portions of the area claimed and, to settle the final portion, agreed to withdraw the township of Canteen Creek.
Under an agreement between the Central Land Council and the Northern Territory, the Canteen Creek Landholding Aboriginal Corporation, which is run by residents and Traditional Owners, will receive freehold title to parts of the community.
The rest of the claim area will be granted as Aboriginal freehold land under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.
“This handback honours the determination and strength of the traditional owners who never gave up on their claim,” Central Land Council chief executive Les Turner said.
“It’s a moment to celebrate and reflect on the sacrifices of those who didn’t live to see this day.
"We recognise their legacy and the leadership of the families who have carried this claim forward.”
Senator McCarthy, a Yanyuwa Garrwa woman, said the handback was incredibly special and emotional for her personally, because of her childhood memories of when the Yanyuwa people of Borroloola lodged their land claim in a "very hostile environment".
"It was in the old police station in Borroloola, where my Elders had to sit and speak in English, which was not their first language, to talk about how the Yanyuwa Country was our lands," she said.
"And that took us just about the same time, with nearly 40 years before we had our lands turned back.
"So, in July last year, when I was appointed as Minister for Indigenous Australians in this country, one of the first things I saw was this area here for you Aunty Eileen and all the families here, how long you've waited.
"And I knew both in my heart, but also in general fairness, that this had to be processed."
Eileen Bonney and Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy.
"The road continues to go forward for these little ones, so they know this story, but they can carry it in a happy way without too much sadness because it is them that we have to do this for," she said.
"And it is our little ones, your little ones who now have to carry this flame of this deed and really build a future for all the families of this region to talk strong and to talk true about what culture means, the strength of Country, being First Nations people in this country.
"We are proud of our history and we have a great future through all of our little ones."
When the parliament passed the legislation in November Ms Bonney welcomed the resolution of the land claim “while I’m still living”.
The Indigenous Land Use Agreement is the outcome of exhaustive consultations over many years and has the support of both the native title holders and residents of Canteen Creek.
“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.
“The Traditional Owners all wanted to get this done for a long time. Too many of us have died waiting for this day.”
Ms Bonney said the resolution of the claim means her daughters can move to their homeland near Canteen Creek.
The Wakaya-Alyawarre (Repeat) claim is one of the CLC’s final two land claims under the Land Rights Act.
Over its 50-year history, the CLC has helped Traditional Owners win back more than half the land in the southern half of the Northern Territory and continues to support them to manage it through its 14 Aboriginal ranger groups.
