27 February 2019
A new short film Getting back to Jilundarina thoughtfully and beautifully expresses Waanyi Garawa wishes for a future that’s more connected to their homeland as community members (re)acquaint themselves with their country in the NT’s Gulf region through a 10-day walk and camp.
Waanyi Garawa Rangers and NAILSMA have been exploring the value of Walking-in-Country as an effective platform for land planning and management as part of a Hub project investigating ways of showing and sharing knowledge. Walking provides a richly nuanced approach to moving through and caring for land – walkers see, hear, smell and experience more. The research is showing that walking and working on foot can offer multiple benefits and that walks in country can bring families together in both sobering and uplifting ways.
Sobering in exposing how knowledge can fade when kids don’t get out to their country; uplifting by sharing endangered skills and words, and by re-energising people. A Traditional Owner in the film sums up an urgent call… ‘the next lot to take over, we got to bring ‘em back out here so they get to see what they gotta take over’. For more information please see this update or this report, or contact [email protected] or Project Leaders Ricky Archer and Ro Hill.
