Witiyana Marika, respected Yolngu elder and founding member of pioneering North East Arnhem Land group Yothu Yindi, is preparing to celebrate a remarkable milestone as the group returns to the WOMADelaide stage for the first time in 33 years.

The band will mark 35 years since their landmark album ‘Tribal Voice’, featuring iconic anthems such as ‘Treaty’ and ‘Djapana (Sunset Dreaming), in what promises to be an emotionally charged performance bridging cultures and generations.

The band's unique fusion of traditional Yolngu culture with contemporary music, alongside balanda (non-Aboriginal or European) musicians has fundamentally changed the landscape of Australian culture over nearly four decades.

Speaking from Naarm/Melbourne on December 12, the day of a special Treaty celebration concert at John Cain Arena on Wurundjeri country, Mr Marika reflected on the extraordinary journey that began when Yothu Yindi was formed in 1985.

First Nations groups from sea country areas across South Australia recently came together at a forum to discuss Aboriginal engagement in Commonwealth marine parks.

The forum, led by Parks Australia with support from SA Native Title Services, marked the first time all coastal First Nations groups in the state came together with both state and Commonwealth government representatives to discuss marine park management.

The workshop was an important first step in resetting Aboriginal engagement in marine parks with further dialogue and actions in the pipeline for 2026.

You'll hear from representatives from:

• Parks Australia
• Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation
• Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation
• Nukunu Wapma Thura Aboriginal Corporation

All interviewed in the last episode of Aboriginal Way for 2025.

The Department for Environment and Water, in collaboration with SANTS, recently held a two-day co-design workshop in Port Augusta to help finalise the South Australian Framework to Advance First Nations’ Water Interests.
The workshop was held over two days at the Standpipe Golf Motor Inn, where participants came together to continue shaping the draft framework. 
Building on earlier engagement rounds held in February - April 2025 and July - August 2025, the workshop brought together First Nations representatives and stakeholders to refine the draft framework.

During the workshop we interviewed Far West Coast Traditional Lands Association chair and Wirangu board member Jack Johncock, who spoke about long-standing losses of water rights and the need for meaningful change.

 We also spoke with Wangkangurru Elder Raylene Crombie, who reflected on the damage to spiritual water places near Birdsville, and Deborah Naylan who emphasised water sovereignty, cultural authority, and protecting storylines for future generations.

Wirangu and Nauo Aboriginal Corporation (WNAC) and Firesticks Alliance conducted a week-long series of burns at a former farming station at Talia on the Eyre Peninsula.

The project site is the locale of Talia Station, a 2,000 hectare property on the western side of the Eyre Peninsula, a site left decimated by sheep grazing since Wirangu and Nauo peoples were displaced in the 1850s.

Early in the project Land Life and project partner Cassinia Environmental engaged WNAC to identify best practices for getting Traditional Owners back on Country and assisting in the rejuvenation of the areas adversely affected by this grazing and land degradation.

On the week of the burns, Matthew Johncock commenced his new role as a Wirangu and Nauo ranger, providing the perfect opportunity to hit the ground running and utilise the revitalised practice of cultural burning.

AW spoke to Mr Johncock and Nauo director Jodi Miller about the cultural burns and the resulting benefits for their Country and community .

Nauo Fest – a celebration of Nauo community, culture and native title – was held at Coffin Bay on Saturday, 15 November 2025. Nauo people and the wider community danced the night away during incredible performances from Electric Fields, the Warren Milera Band and Tony Minnecon, with Elaine Crombie MC.

Proudly presented by Nauo Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC and supported by SA Native Title Services and Open Eyre Events, this free festival was an opportunity to celebrate the Nauo people’s 28-year fight for native title recognition on the Lower Eyre Peninsula. 

Listen to Aboriginal Way’s latest podcast episode straight from the festival to find out more about Nauo's journey to reach native title acknowledgement and the future of Nauo Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC.

On Friday 24 October, First Nations of the South East (FNSE) and Ngarrindjeri peoples came together at 42 Mile Crossing in Coorong National Park - where the Federal Court of Australia formally recognised both groups as native title holders over a shared area in South Australia’s south-east.
This important determination covers land from the southern tip of the Coorong National Park, stretching east towards Gum Lagoon Conservation Park, and includes the culturally significant site of Sandy’s Hut, a place deeply connected to generations of families and Ancestors.
Both groups paid tribute to Elders past, whose resilience and leadership made this recognition possible - a testament to their enduring connection to Country, culture, and community.AW spoke with three members of First Nations of South East - Aunty Penny Bonney, Cheryl Saunders and Andrew Birtwhistle-Smith following the consent determination.

On Tuesday 21 October, the Kaurna community came together (along with friends and allies), for the fourth and final reburial ceremony of their Ancestors at Wangayarta.

The southern mound, one of four reburial mounds at Wangayarta, was created for the reburial of Kaurna Ancestors disturbed from southern areas of Kaurna Country over the last century.

Wangayarta is a memorial/reburial park designed by the Kaurna community in 2019-2020 as a pilot repatriation project here in South Australia. Led by the Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation, the park was created to re-inter disturbed Ancestors held for decades at the South Australian Museum and the Adelaide University.

Emotional ceremonies have already been held at Wangayarta for Kaurna Ancestors from the northern, western and eastern parts of Kaurna Country since December 2021.

In this episode you’ll hear from:

- Allan Sumner, Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri Traditional Owner and MC of the ceremony

- Major Moogy Sumner, Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri Elder

- Anna Russo, Aboriginal Heritage and Repatriation Manager at the South Australian Museum

- Allan Sumner speaking at the event, used with permission.

“Sick to my stomach. There have been far too many situations where this has happened and our feelings, our connections and our thoughts have never been considered.”

Chair of the Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation, Mitzi Nam, speaks out over the planned redevelopment of the North Adelaide Golf Course at Pirtawardli (meaning "brush tail possum home") to host the high-profile LIV Golf tournament in 2028.

She shares the deep cultural and spiritual significance of the site, the pain of feeling excluded from formal consultation, and the urgent need for culturally respectful conversations to protect sacred places.

"We know development needs to happen, but when it comes to something that's just going to benefit a certain section of people, it's not for the wider community.

It’s all about the money, but you can’t put a dollar value on protecting our cultural heritage for future generations.”

If you’ve ever wanted to find out more about native title – or even more about virtual reality – this episode is for you!

Step onto Country as Traditional Owners tell you stories andguide you through their land and waters, all from within the foyer of the South Australian Museum.

That’s the premise of Country, Culture, People, a newnative title display and VR experience by South Australian Native Title Services, looking back over more than 30 years of native title history here in South Australia.

Visitors can explore key moments that have shaped nativetitle here, from the Native Title Act passing in 1993, to the first determination at De Rose Hill in 2005 and the landmark Kaurna determination in 2018. Then, virtually step onto Country and hear powerful stories from Traditional Owners.

Key points in the podcast:

3:47 SANTS CEO Keith Thomas talks about Country, Culture,People.

8:00 Keith explains what native title is, how it's evolved in SA in the years since he's been at the helm of SANTS and discusses the remaining areas of SA that are yet to be determined.

18:15 Reuben Gore from Topbunk explains how the agency created the virtual reality display and how VR can be used to transport people to locations and scenarios that might not be easily accessible.

Country, Culture, People

South Australian Museum foyer, North Terrace, Kaurna Country

VR Experience available over weekends for the remainder ofAugust

In this episode, we speak with Glenn Chisholm about the vital work of River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC) rangers in the Riverland.

Cultural heritage protection is at the heart of their work, with a special focus on protecting ancestral burial sites using both traditional knowledge and modern scientific methods.

Glenn envisions state-wide ranger gatherings where teams can share knowledge, skills, and experiences across different Country types.

The program is growing, with plans to add new rangers over the next three years if funding is secured.

Following the devastating floods of 2022-23, rangers have been restoring damaged cultural sites and discovering new ones exposed by the waters.

They use mapping and monitoring techniques to track changes to sites over time and identify areas needing restoration or protection.

Collaborating with landowners and other stakeholders is crucial, though can be challenging, to gain access and support for protecting sensitive sites.

As Glenn proudly notes, these rangers aren't just protecting their own Country - they're making an impact that reaches far beyond their "little old country town."