4feature <strong>Caring</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>country</strong> Aboriginal Dreaming is a complex concept that traces the journeys <strong>and</strong> actions of ancestors <strong>and</strong> their relationship with the natural world. Trevor Gill reports. Dreaming stories link the past with the present in the l<strong>and</strong> or <strong>country</strong> to which an Aboriginal person belongs. The significance of what Aboriginal people call “<strong>country</strong>” – embracing its l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> waters – is central to all aspects of their lives <strong>and</strong> those of their <strong>for</strong>ebears. There are places that are meaningful <strong>and</strong> treasured <strong>for</strong> their association with birth, social interaction, ceremonies, hunting, gathering, travelling <strong>and</strong> death. They may be ancient camps or burial sites, stone quarries, hunting grounds <strong>and</strong> fish traps, paintings or engravings or l<strong>and</strong> <strong>for</strong>ms that help shape the Dreaming stories. History, laws <strong>and</strong> consequence belong in these places. You can see it in the eyes of people like Aboriginal Elder Lindsay Sansbury. It is a look into the long ago. Uncle Tinto, as he is known among his people, lives at Point Pearce <strong>and</strong> his spiritual links with the l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> sea in this northern region of <strong>Yorke</strong> Peninsula are strong <strong>and</strong> deep. Across the <strong>Northern</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Yorke</strong> region there are various nations of Aboriginal people, each with heritage values that go back through countless generations. In each of these places, Aboriginal people are being engaged in structured natural resource actions that respect <strong>and</strong> support key aspects of their traditional <strong>country</strong>. So there is a fascinating <strong>and</strong> fruitful interface between the custodial values of Indigenous people that are passed from one generation to another with broader conservation values. Indeed, natural resource management seeks to protect <strong>and</strong> maintain many of the natural features that are embodied in the Dreaming stories <strong>and</strong> the way of life of Aboriginal people today. “It is about reviving the <strong>country</strong> to a state that resembles the way it was in the past,” says Aboriginal L<strong>and</strong>care Coordinator, Roger Rigney. “Areas of the <strong>country</strong> are looking tired <strong>and</strong> sick. Aboriginal people believe that healthy <strong>country</strong> means healthy people.” Uncle Tinto is among a group of people at Point Pearce that has been working on boxthorn removal <strong>and</strong> fencing in s<strong>and</strong> dunes as part of an NYNRM Boardfunded program to restore degraded <strong>country</strong>. “Many of our Dreaming stories that we pass on to younger people today are about the natural birds <strong>and</strong> animals of our region,” he said. “But seeing is believing. “We have to help the <strong>country</strong> get back to the healthy way it was so that the birds <strong>and</strong> animals will return. If we don’t, future generations will miss out on the comings <strong>and</strong> goings of the natural world. “That’s why it is so important to have natural resource management programs like the boxthorn removal at Point Pearce.” The Aboriginal groups in the <strong>Northern</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Yorke</strong> region are the Narrungga, Nukunu, Ngadjuri, Adnyamathanha, Pitjantjatara <strong>and</strong> Yankuntjatara. The NYNRM Board’s engagement with the Indigenous communities in the region is through the Aboriginal L<strong>and</strong>s Trust (ALT), which holds l<strong>and</strong> in trust <strong>for</strong> Indigenous people. With NYNRM Board funding, the ALT employs people to carry out natural resource projects. Chris Rains, the Trust’s L<strong>and</strong>care Coordinator, said: “The Indigenous people are paid <strong>for</strong> their work as an investment not only in NYNRM outcomes, but also in developing work skills. “This engagement also involves people in the management of their <strong>country</strong> in line with their cultural heritage values. For example, the Wadgedin Scrub area at Point Pearce is a very special place <strong>for</strong> the local people, however it has been subjected to illegal dumping threatening vegetation <strong>and</strong> habitat. “Through an NYNRM project, the Wadgedin Scrub is being revegetated <strong>and</strong> restored to its natural state. There is also a major box thorn removal program at Point Pearce.” Other recent NRM projects on Aboriginal l<strong>and</strong>s include pest management at Yapala, Point Pearce <strong>and</strong> Baroota, fencing off s<strong>and</strong> dunes at Point Pearce to prevent vehicle access <strong>and</strong> subsequent revegetation with local native species, <strong>and</strong> training programs including use of machinery <strong>and</strong> safe chemical h<strong>and</strong>ling. “We have also run a feral cat control program on Wardang Isl<strong>and</strong> to protect fairy penguins that inhabit the isl<strong>and</strong>,” Chris said. “The activities are carefully supervised with outcomes reported in detail to the Board, which funds the onground projects. The outcomes are measured in terms of hectares of l<strong>and</strong> subjected to pest plant or animal control <strong>and</strong> revegetation, kilometres of fencing erected or restored, <strong>and</strong> numbers of people participating in NRM related training programs.” Darcy Evans, an Elder of the Nukunu people, said natural resource management training had positive benefits <strong>for</strong> community members in terms of developing work skills that could lead to employment. “Also, it is rewarding that the Board provides such opportunities because when we work on our l<strong>and</strong> it lifts mental <strong>and</strong> spiritual health.” Above: Community members take part in a Reefwatch program at Point Pearce. Right: Tom Wanganeen (left) <strong>and</strong> Carlo Sansbury plant trees <strong>for</strong> a revegetation program at Point Pearce. Photos: Dragi Markovic 20 <strong>Northern</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Yorke</strong> <strong>Natural</strong> <strong>Resources</strong> Management Board
4feature <strong>Northern</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Yorke</strong> <strong>Natural</strong> <strong>Resources</strong> Management Board 21