Blog

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Kirbaji (Dugong)

Kirbaji (Dugong) is an Ancestral Spirit Being (Totem) that I inherited it from my mother’s side.  It is my Totem. The dugong was also an important food source for my ancestors. Only men were allowed to hunt them, and only men had the right to cook and distribute the meat to all the families. My uncles and cousins showed me how to hunt dugongs and they passed down to me the cultural knowledge about them.

My ancestors used to wrap the dugong meat in ginger leaves for flavour, close the wraps with a vine and cook them in the ground oven. Dugongs were only hunted on special occasions such as births, weddings and funerals to provide food for large family gatherings.Dugong fat was also melted to make oil which was used as a medicine for skin and hair ailments or as ointment to treat an upset stomach.

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Diwan (Scrub Turkey)

The Diwan (Scrub Turkey) walks the rainforest floor looking for food.

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Kakan (Black Palm) Basket Weaving

This design shows how the bottom part of a black palm basket is woven. My grandmothers and aunties used to make them. They cut off the young palm leaves in the centre, stripped and scrapped them. Then they would put the strips in freshwater to make them soft and keep them straight for weaving.

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Kakan (Black Palm) Basket Weaving

This design shows how the bottom part of a black palm basket is woven. My grandmothers and aunties used to make them. They cut off the young palm leaves in the centre, stripped and scrapped them. Then they would put the strips in freshwater to make them soft and keep them straight for weaving.

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Mossman River Design

The Mossman River is very important to me and my family. Laurence, my partner and the father of our 5 children, is one of the Traditional Owners of this area. We both grew up along the river and Laurence’s grandparents used to live in a hut next to the river. In the hot season, we used to camp there with our families. Laurence would teach me and later our children how to dive for turtle and fish. We would cross the river to hunt and collect bush food. Back at the camp, we would make fire, cook our damper and fish in an earth oven and share with our families.

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Mossman River Design

The Mossman River is very important to me and my family. Laurence, my partner and the father of our 5 children, is one of the Traditional Owners of this area. We both grew up along the river and Laurence’s grandparents used to live in a hut next to the river. In the hot season, we used to camp there with our families. Laurence would teach me and later our children how to dive for turtle and fish. We would cross the river to hunt and collect bush food. Back at the camp, we would make fire, cook our damper and fish in an earth oven and share with our families.

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Janbal (Quandong)

Janbal (Quandong) is good bush tucker. We gather the fruit from August to January when they are sweet and soft. The kernel of the fruit is very pretty and we often use it to make body adornments such as necklaces and earrings.

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Janbal (Quandong)

Janbal (Quandong) is good bush tucker. We gather the fruit from August to January when they are sweet and soft. The kernel of the fruit is very pretty and we often use it to make body adornments such as necklaces and earrings.

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Jarruka Bulka (Scrubfowl Nest)

Jarruka Bulka (Scrubfowl Nest) and the Diwan Bulka (Brush Turkey Nest) is essential to the survival of our hunting and gathering practices, as the women and girls collect the eggs from these nests, every season.The Jarruka Bulka is more sought after and is the larger of these nests.

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Jarruka Bulka (Scrubfowl Nest)

Jarruka Bulka (Scrubfowl Nest) and the Diwan Bulka (Brush Turkey Nest) is essential to the survival of our hunting and gathering practices, as the women and girls collect the eggs from these nests, every season.The Jarruka Bulka is more sought after and is the larger of these nests.