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Fact Sheet: Learning the Land


Presenter: Costa and Clarence, 29/09/2012

SERIES 23 Episode 25

Costa and Clarence are welcomed by a group of women teaching locals about bush tucker and bush medicine

On the banks of the King River, both Clarence and Costa were given a very special Welcome to Country, by Buyhmi clan Elder, Margaret Katherine. They were both moved by the experience. "Now you are family to this country, you will come back any time as you're welcome," says Margaret.

Margaret is one of a group of women who are helping to preserve cultural knowledge and to pass that on to the next generation at the Banatjarl Family Resource Healing Centre.

This place of learning is 40 kilometres south-east of Katherine: "It was only recently that grave fears were held for the survival of the Jawoyn's culture. The concern was that the next generation were losing their connection to country. That's why here at Banatjarl, elders like Margaret Katherine and Queenie Brennan are playing a vital role in keeping the knowledge alive," said Costa. "The thing I see and feel is this - there's a language, there's a conversation between the land and the people," said Costa.

"Yes, you're right. We have it - all the time. Never stops. From the spring to the river and the river goes to each...each language - to Dalabon, to Jawoyn to Rembarunga to Mayali to Gunwinggu - right up through Maningrida, right up through all, to the seaside," said Margaret.

Margaret's authored many books on Jawoyn culture and its traditions. "When we walk on the land and we camp somewhere and I learn from my grandmother. When I was about 10, I used to sleep with my nanna and she'd take me walk, and learn me all the trees and then all the plant, all the bush medicine that we will see today," she said.

To help teach the young, the women have created a special bush garden that acts as an open-air classroom. Margaret explained: "We grow this bush tucker for our young girls and young children so that they can know about bush tucker and bush medicine."

"To win back our kids from anything - from drug, from drinking, from on the street. We want them to come back on this land, where we make these bush herbs and bush tucker. So that they can go back to their land and make it. They have got knowledge from their grandparents, but they're not with their grandparents - they like to be in town. That's why we set up - made it - out here," Margaret said.

Trainee Ranger Megan Bulumbara showed Clarence an interesting tuber. "This (Muyal - Ipomoea abrupta) is like a yam, but it's got big, large tubers underneath, underground and you dig down and out and you roast them like sweet potato. Not as tasty as the other yams."

"It's almost like sweet potato, 'cause it's such a long vine. It just keeps going," said Clarence. "So you've been helping maintain the garden and the ladies have told you about all the plants that are in here at the moment?"

"Yes," said Megan. "They take us out fishing, camping out; learn us about the bush and what to eat out there if we get stuck."

Elder Queenie Brennan showed Clarence a few more crops: "That's a Jungle Bead. (Kirring-Kirring - Abrus precatorius). My mother once told me that when I got burnt on my head, she'd use the black and red seeds. But when it was green, she used to boil them up and wash my head in it, with the seed."

Margaret showed Clarence and Costa a rough leaf that turns out to be from the Sandpaper Fig (Ficus aculeata). "Ringworm. Anyone got a ringworm on their backside? You feel it - it's sharp. It's to scratch your ringworms. If you've got ringworm here, scratch, scratch, scratch - it's gone by two days."

When Queenie and Margaret found out about the Clyde Fenton PreSchool garden, they wanted to contribute some plants. Margaret first asked the Putput plant (Northern Kurrajong - Brachychiton diversifolius) if it was ok to take some of its seed: "Here they are. If you want to break it and take the seed and let the teacher grow it on a cup or something. It's alright I can break you? All right. You give the seed and look after it just like it's a baby, all right?" she instructed Costa and Clarence.


"We're going to take the lemongrass and the Putput to the preschool so they can have part of their garden - part of your garden, in their garden. That's fantastic," added Costa.

"Thank you," said Margaret Katherine.

