click here to return to the Yiriman homepage
 click here to view all Yiriman trip reports
Walangkarr Jirrkaliy healthy country project
Yiriman's second trip into Walangkarr (Edgar Ranges) involved three different groups, combining several projects concerning the same people and country. Together with the Yiriman Project these groups were the Walangkarr Jirrkaliy Healthy Country Project (run by the Kimberley Land Council, Land and Sea management team) and the Kimberley Regional Fire Management Project(KRFMP). With the same elders being involved with both projects it was only natural to combine and the share the experience with all. The Kimberley Regional Fire Management project was there to study the flora and fauna in the area, to build evidence for the management plan of Walangkarr. Joining elders, kids, scientists and other helper's was always going to be an exciting and interesting trip. It was definitely all that.
The Walangkarr Jirrkaliy Healthy Country project is for Traditional Owners to make their own "management plan" for looking after country. This involves bush trips to collect and record knowledge with elders, teach young people, and to transfer knowledge between Aboriginal and Kartiya scientists. The Nyikina, Karajarri and Mangala people have decided to develop the management plan into five stories about Walangkarr (Edgar Ranges) and Jirrkaliy (Geegully Creek).
1. a cultural map of country, with all the names and places where people used to go when walking around in the bush
2. the plants and animals that live there, or are hard to find now
3. how the seasons change, making a "calendar" for Nyikina, Mangala and Karajarri country
4. how fire effects the country, and how country should be burnt now
5. how water, creeks, rockholes, and wet season keeps the country alive
The KRFMP is made up of a diverse group of hard working people from all over the top end. Their ability to transfer their scientific knowledge to elders and kids was invaluable on the trip and benefited all. The kids got a great deal out of the wildlife survey, especially getting a look at the animals their elders had told them so much about but rarely seen. There were some very exciting finds some of which cannot be released until further notice. The evidence gained by the these people will be used to lay the foundations for a management plan for the Traditional Owners, and will do a great deal for the development of the Yiriman Rangers Project (YRP). (See Yiriman Rangers Project for more details)
Seeing the kids really get into the wildlife surveys', returning with speimencs of insects, lizards, flowers and a host of other objects was rewarding for not only them but their elders. For hours, the boys would search through field guides trying to identify which species of lizard or flower they had found. Often after much debate but usually arguing, it was up to the scientists to help make the correct identification. Things like suttle color differences; petal formation and stem thickness were discussed, helping to make a correct identification. To see the interest and concentration of the boys while working was a real positive.

Most of the boys could not believe you could get paid for doing work like this and sure enough by the end of the two weeks they all wanted to be biologists or ecologists. A battle with a king brown snake late in the week changed a few ideas for a short while however.

Not only were the wildlife surveys keeping the boys busy, but there was a camp of up to 50 people to look after; this included cooking, cleaning and the dreaded job of collecting firewood. It was no holiday and to their credit they battled away, not always enthusiastically; however by the end of the two weeks they were working like a very efficient team.

An exciting discussion between several elders about communicating to young people was one of the greatest rewards to come out of the project. Being able to witness how the kids worked when communicated to in different ways from different people, really gave these elders an insight into effective communication with young people. Concerns about how they were treated at home were discussed and the need for more open and friendlier communication to occur. How this is done will be a future project, but this important issue being identified is a huge bonus for the development of our people.

Returning from the trip the boys were rejuvenated and happy about their new knowledge. Only time will tell if positive behavioral changes are a result.