The organisations and wider community gathered on Friday, July 23, at the Bega Civic Centre to celebrate the occasion.

Monaro Elder and chairperson of the Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) BJ Cruse said the MOU was first introduced to the Valley due to the largely negative response of its citizens towards reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

Mr Cruse said that the shire, under the administration of Rod Calvert, contacted the NSW Aboriginal Land Council to request advice on how better relationships could be forged. Their advice was the signing of an MOU.

READ ALSO: The Bega District News archives from 20 years ago to mark MOU

Reflecting on 20 years of the document, Mr Cruse said although the MOU was not a legally binding agreement, it allowed people to work together and sign off on individual agreements that then become binding.

"The totem poles that we see out the front of the shire building come out from the MOU, the employment of Aboriginal people in different parts of the council also came out of the MOU, as well as the two flag poles," he said.

Dijringanj and Ngarigo elder Aunty Colleen Dixon had a less positive outlook on the event and said, "not much has changed at all". She was critical of local governments and lands councils and said they needed to better consult with traditional people.

"They should be consulting with us, we would like to be a part of the structure. I'd like to se that change and for the original people to sign up with them as a third party.

"Our culture and heritage is ours and not to be taken by another government body," she said.

READ ALSO: Aboriginal heritage, journey acknowledged in MOU document first signed 20 years ago

Mr Cruse said the Lands Council would now turn its attention to rezone Aboriginal lands which would create a wider potential for Aboriginal people.

"Under the 1983 land rights legislation we have right to claim blanket lands that are not needed or likely to be needed for essential public purpose and lands that are able to be mortgaged, sold or leased. We can claim those lands," he said.

Once that happened, he said, they would be in a better place, "to make greater contributions to the good health and wellbeing of all citizens".

Mr Cruse said the next step would be a kinship sovereign treaty, meaning, "all Aboriginal people would treat each other with respect and work together for the betterment of each other's families".

It would be, "a treaty that does not disrupt the general public's lives, doesn't take away from the general public, it doesn't cost the general public, but our funding would come from the gross income of the country that would sustain Aboriginal co-operations".

Mr Cruse thanked the shire's 20-year commitment to bringing about "positive gains" for Aboriginal people and hoped it would continue into the "lasting future".