Nearly one million hectares of land and sea have been recognised under Native Title in far north Queensland. Ceremonies have been held in Cairns and Cooktown to mark the historic event.
00:00An emotional celebration more than 100 years in the making.
00:06It's a joyous occasion, but it's also a sad one as well.
00:13Determinations are more than just being recognised, our title which we've always known, this is our land and we've always known that and continue to hold that.
00:23The Guku Yimidia, Yitawara and Wutati people have today been legally recognised as the custodians of their traditional lands, which stretch across 900,000 hectares of land, sea and islands in eastern Cape York.
00:36The special thing about it is that the people that were removed from their traditional land are actually recognised where they are from.
00:45Traditional owners say this determination is just the beginning of a new chapter.
00:50Wutati will continue to fight for what is our right, land and sea country.
00:59From the first prolonged contact between Aboriginal people and European explorers in 1770 on Guku Yimidia country near modern day Cooktown, what followed was years of violence and displacement.
01:11Traditional owners hope this will help the next generation take more control of their future.
01:16I think we can develop, I think blackfellas have the opportunity in the nows to actually develop their own country given the opportunity.
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