Twenty years ago, Jawoyn people won their long-fought battle to win back their land, including one of the Territory’s jewels Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge). It was a bitter fight, with angry protests held in the town of Katherine amid fears Nitmiluk would be shut to visitors. It also saw the rise of an Australian version of the Ku Klux Klan. When Jawoyn’s claim was successful, it transformed how national parks are managed in Australia. They signed a landmark 99 year lease with the Northern Territory government to jointly manage Nitmiluk. It was the first arrangement of its type in the nation and paved the way for other similar agreements to follow. The land rights win also gave Jawoyn the chance to run their own tourism ventures in the park, and Nitmiluk Tours was born. A business that today has become a multi-million dollar success story that reinvests its profits to support Jawoyn people and community.
Emma Masters, ABC NEWS, Stateline (October 2009)