Bushwalking on country

It doesn’t matter if you have a direct connection to the First Nations of this continent or are just visiting the majesty of the bush, conducting yourself appropriately is extremely important.

From the lush coastal fringes to the desert panoramas, or even up to the Snowy Mountains, these areas have been utilised as omni-resource centres that house our supermarkets, churches and spirit realms.

The better settlers and visitors can be aware of and appreciate spiritual and cultural taboos while walking “on country”, the better for us all.

Specific areas have more reverence and have specific rules in place when being visited. It is also our cultural liability to ensure visitors are respectful and safe.

My responsibility as a Lardil man and specifically as a Dulmada (Aboriginal custodian/protector) for our Bunbadgee (White Dove/Torresian Pigeon) means I have an obligation to ensure the security of our clan homelands.

Gununa, known colonially as Mornington Island, is roughly 60 kilometres long east to west and is one of the 22 Wellesley Islands in Queensland’s Gulf of Carpentaria.

When I initially spoke to the ABC Life editor about “bushwalking”, I instinctively responded that “we are in the bush so it’s just walking to us”.

I wrote drafts while sitting in the back of a troop carrier travelling the dirt highway snaking the spine of our island home, which is long and narrow.

Know where you stand

Cultural protocol is a sensitive topic.

Some people aren’t happy discussing such issues and it needs to be said (but shouldn’t have to be) that we’re talking about sharing of cultural intellectual property that is directly linked to the lands being trodden upon.

On a recent day trip with Kantha (Dad) Lex Toby and Guldoo (Nephew) Cyril Cherokee Moon to Thumuun Bulluun, an outstation at Barradkiah, the homelands we belong to, I asked the Elders what they thought about white people visiting our country.

I won’t repeat their responses but the animosity stems from the impacts of colonisation.

We First Nations have developed and refined our cultural practices and protocols for 250 times longer than British settler colonisation so how can they not be adhered to and respected.

Otherwise the colonial efforts to diminish our cultural capacity and continuity will continue.

Metropolitan, regional and remote, our laws and customs continue so there isn’t a distinction between “the bush” and “the city” when it comes to being on country and obeying our law. Read More

Tips for walking on country

• Know whose lands and waters you are on and entering, get their advice and permission.
• Each First Nation is independent so cultural advice and protocols will vary.
• Be considerate and don’t demand; as custodians and protectors of our respective lands and even peoples who enter them, consulting with relevant cultural authorities can be extensive.
• Never take anything from country without asking appropriate custodians/protectors first.
• Don’t be a hero; stay safe and be prepared. Dulmadas/custodians/Traditional owners can be culturally accountable for the safety and wellbeing of all visitors as highlighted by safety concerns of visiting climbers for Anangu traditional owners of Uluru.
• Don’t expect or ignore advice. Deliberations and consulting for cultural authorities are not taken lightly, advice is given on the premise that those decisions will be respected. NT Land Rights legislation has been in place for over 40 years and Native Title law nationally can be enforced.

Source
Steve Hodder Watt
ABC News