Davenport Ranges
Women’s Cross Cultural “Looking after Country” in the Davenport Ranges
Women’s “Looking after Country”: Cross Cultural Exchange of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge
In August 2010, Traditional Owners, rangers of the Parks and Wildlife Service and staff from the Central Land Council gathered at the Davenport Ranges National Park to undertake a week-long women’s “Looking after Country” Indigenous Ecological Knowledge (IEK) trip. The project facilitated cross-cultural exchange of skills, indigenous knowledge and priorities into the management of culturally important wildlife as well as feral animal and fire management programs for the Davenport Range National Park. Twenty Aboriginal ladies attended.
The project was initiated by Central Land Council staff at the request of senior Traditional Owners. Funding was secured from the Northern Territory Natural Resource Management Board.
At the start of the week, senior female Traditional Owners., Parks and Wildlife Rangers and Central Land Council collectively worked out a plan for the week. Over the course of the week the group:
- Set up and checked Elliott traps at two survey sites (targeting small mammals);
- Recorded animals sighted opportunistically for example, tracking, bird survey)
- Searched for important bush tucker and bush medicine by driving and walking to sites;
- Recorded oral stories associated with importance of bush tucker / bush medicine plants
- Took photos of bush tucker / bush medicine and talked about ways we can work together to protect important areas from fire, weeds and feral animals; and
- Visited important cultural sites by helicopter
Information recorded will be used to create a resource book for the ladies to share with their young people, rangers and land council staff.
A follow up trip is planned at which the group will be joined by young family members to make possible the intergenerational transfer of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge.
Ranger, Donna Digby, talked about how the project had highlighted the role that women play in looking after country “….these ladies have a very strong connection to country and an intimate understanding of the layout of the land. There knowledge of the history of the area, bush tucker bush medicine is incredible. More importantly, they have strong ideas on how we can work together through Joint Management to integrate their ecological knowledge and priorities into managing the Park together, side by side, on Country”.