Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Over 97% of the Kimberley is now covered by native title after another Federal Court ruling granted exclusive rights over a 900km² area. Flying courts, smoking ceremonies, and a two-tiered system where everyday Australians must ask permission to enter.
Australia is slowly being given away—or given back, depending on which side of the debate you sit on. This transfer isn’t based on open-market purchase, economic contribution, or individual effort, but is determined entirely by your ancestral background.
Case in point, as reported recently by the ABC: “Emotional day as East Kimberley native title recognised.”
The Kimberley region is the northernmost area of Western Australia, spanning a massive 420,000 square kilometres—an area three times the size of England. According to the article, there was an “on-country court hearing”—because flying the Federal Court into the desert is apparently a vital use of taxpayer funds.
They note that this new native title decision means that more than 97 per cent of the Kimberley is now covered by native title.
Naturally, the hearing opened with a smoking ceremony—because no massive land rights decision is official until everyone’s inhaled enough leaf smoke.
Here’s Federal Court Justice Erin Longbottom proudly congratulating the traditional owners on their monumental achievement of having the correct ancestry. The article noted that she awarded the claimants “exclusive rights” over the 900-square-kilometre area.
What does that mean? It means the native title holders can now decide who enters or uses the area, and other Australians must ask for permission first: “Please, sir, may I cross the creek?”—because nothing says modern egalitarian democracy quite like needing permission to go walking in your own country if you’re not of the right skin colour.
The local Aboriginal Land Council was quoted as saying: “It effectively should mean that the government and other interested parties need to come and talk to traditional owners.” The National Indigenous Times quoted traditional owner Raphael Sampi, who said: “We have finally achieved our goal and got our country back.”
So there you go. Australia continues to be carved up into “traditional owner” territory and regular public land. The only catch? Traditional owners get full access to both, while everyone else gets told to stay the hell out.
MUSIC
Allégro by Emmit Fenn
Over 97% of the Kimberley is now covered by native title after another Federal Court ruling granted exclusive rights over a 900km² area. Flying courts, smoking ceremonies, and a two-tiered system where everyday Australians must ask permission to enter.
Australia is slowly being given away—or given back, depending on which side of the debate you sit on. This transfer isn’t based on open-market purchase, economic contribution, or individual effort, but is determined entirely by your ancestral background.
Case in point, as reported recently by the ABC: “Emotional day as East Kimberley native title recognised.”
The Kimberley region is the northernmost area of Western Australia, spanning a massive 420,000 square kilometres—an area three times the size of England. According to the article, there was an “on-country court hearing”—because flying the Federal Court into the desert is apparently a vital use of taxpayer funds.
They note that this new native title decision means that more than 97 per cent of the Kimberley is now covered by native title.
Naturally, the hearing opened with a smoking ceremony—because no massive land rights decision is official until everyone’s inhaled enough leaf smoke.
Here’s Federal Court Justice Erin Longbottom proudly congratulating the traditional owners on their monumental achievement of having the correct ancestry. The article noted that she awarded the claimants “exclusive rights” over the 900-square-kilometre area.
What does that mean? It means the native title holders can now decide who enters or uses the area, and other Australians must ask for permission first: “Please, sir, may I cross the creek?”—because nothing says modern egalitarian democracy quite like needing permission to go walking in your own country if you’re not of the right skin colour.
The local Aboriginal Land Council was quoted as saying: “It effectively should mean that the government and other interested parties need to come and talk to traditional owners.” The National Indigenous Times quoted traditional owner Raphael Sampi, who said: “We have finally achieved our goal and got our country back.”
So there you go. Australia continues to be carved up into “traditional owner” territory and regular public land. The only catch? Traditional owners get full access to both, while everyone else gets told to stay the hell out.
MUSIC
Allégro by Emmit Fenn
