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Kiju – Crab

Kiju (mud crab) is very good eating. I have been hunting kiju with my family all my life. We make a fire on the beach and wait for it to die down and then cook the kiju on the coals.  In my culture, we leave the shell where we catch the kiju so next time there will be plenty more to hunt and eat. This was what my elders taught me, and I am showing the young ones how to look after their Country and to do things the right way.

The best time to go hunting for mud crab is when the mangkurru (mangroves) are flowering.  That’s when we know the kitju is nice and fat.

Us Bama (people), use plants to tell us when to hunt or collect certain foods. It’s our culture and lore.