Kija
Claim Status:
A grouped claim, Kija comprises Malarngowem, Purnululu, Ngarrawanji and Yurriyangem Taam. KLC was instructed to lodge this claim at an authorisation meeting in September 2009. The claim was lodged in mid-2010 and passed the registration test on October 29, 2010.
Claim history:
The Kija claim is a new proposed claim that covers the entire traditional country of the Kija people. The Kimberley Land Council began research and consultation work with the Kija people in 2005, to establish one large claim area instead of a number of smaller claims.
In late 2006, the Kija people accepted the proposal of a larger claim and anthropological field work commenced in 2008, to assess the boundaries of the claim area. A preliminary report was drafted.
The Kimberley Land Council submitted a native title claim application on behalf of the Kija people, in 2010. It has been registered, and will likely proceed to mediation.
The Kija claim takes in the smaller claims of Ngarrawanji, Purnululu and Marlarngowem.
Ngarrawanji:
The Ngarrawanji claim was filed in 1996 and covers more than 4000 square kilometres of land mostly contained within the Moola Bulla pastoral lease, to the north west of Halls Creek.
Purnululu:
The Purnululu claim is comprised primarily of the Purnululu National Park (also known as the Bungle Bungles), a conservation reserve and some pastoral lease land. An application for the native title claim, which covers 4500 square kilometres of land, was submitted to the National Native Title Tribunal in 1994. The claimants are the Kija people and it is proposed this claim is absorbed into the Greater Kija claim.
Marlarngowem:
The Marlarngowem claim covers about 7000 square kilometres of country and includes pastoral lease land to the south and east of Warmun (Turkey Creek). The claim was registered with the National Native Title Tribunal in 1999.
