Wangan and Jagalingou standing their ground against Adani

Last Monday was a morning like most others on the plains of central Queensland; out west of Clermont between the Carmichael and Belyando rivers. Dry and dusty, a cold night thawing into a day of hot and glaring sunlight.

There was something slightly different in the air though. Some Wangan and Jagalingou people, descendants of those who have inhabited this harsh landscape for tens of thousands of years, were preparing for ceremony. White ochre smeared across their bodies, the ritual they were about to undertake was a reclaiming of their traditional country.

After 15 years attempting to get native title over this land, three years in the courts disputing the right of Adani to build their massive proposed Carmichael coal mine nearby, after years of rallies and meetings with corporate and government figures, this is what it has come down to: “standing our ground” as they have said, putting their…