Land claim dispute gets day in court, 25 years on

Traditional owner Tom Calma told a commission a disputed river was made by the Rainbow serpent. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

For decades two clans have been locked in a feud over the rightful ownership of a popular northern waterway, which has finally appeared before the Aboriginal Land Commission.

After years of working through a backlog of claims, the Aboriginal Land Commission heard evidence from traditional owners in a dispute over the Finniss River Land Claim.