Aboriginal Way

The Hindmarsh Island bridge dispute told by the Ngarrindjeri women who lived it.For much of the 1990s, a group of Ngarrindjeri womenprotested the building of a bridge from Goolwa to Hindmarsh Island, claiming the island held sacred significance to them.For years, they were subjected to intense scrutiny from themedia, from politicians and even through a Royal Commission, with their voices challenged, dismissed and questioned.Kumarangk, a new major project from Country Arts SA, tells the story of the Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy from the women who were there, giving them a voice to share the story from their perspective, together, for the very first time. Kumarangk starts with a visual arts exhibition at @AdelaideContemporary Experimental (ACE) Gallery on Kaurna Land, followed by a documentary later this year, then a performance in Goolwa in 2027.🎧Aboriginal Way spoke with Dominic Guerrera, Country Arts SA's Ngarrindjeri/Kaurna creative/curator, who came up with the idea.

Walmajarri elder and acclaimed singer-songwriter AuntieOlive Knight (Kankawa Nagarra) will bring a lifetime of storytelling, cultural knowledge and environmental advocacy to WOMADelaide this March, performing onKaurna Country as part of the festival’s diverse 2026 program.Kankawa Nagarra’s music blends blues, gospel, country andWalmajarri language into songs shaped by ceremony, lived experience and an enduring connection to Country. For Nagarra, the blues is not a borrowed form but one thatmirrors musical traditions she has known since childhood.Knight grew up living a traditional nomadic life with herclan in the Kimberley before being relocated onto a pastoral lease. Language sits at the core of Knight’s work, singing inEnglish, Kimberly Kriol and Walmajarri, a language she has spent decades helping to document and preserve. Performing language on stage, particularly within blues andgospel frameworks, creates a powerful point of connection for diverse audiences.

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 AustraliaKaurna Yerta Aboriginal CorporationFar 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.