Carbon farming supports Yugul Mangi culture camp for young people
Date: Jan 22, 2019
The Yugul Mangi Rangers ran a two-day culture camp in September 2018. Traditional Owners from the South East Arnhem Land Indigenous Protected Area (SEAL IPA) supported the camp using income from the carbon farming work of their rangers.
Seventeen school students attended the Yugul Mangi culture camp at Namiilliwirri outstation.
The camp was held at Namiilliwirri outstation, just outside of Ngukurr community. The Ngukurr school and Ngukurr Language Centre supported the Rangers. In total, forty-six people took part in the camp including 17 school students. All the young people enjoyed learning from the Elders and Yugul Mangi Rangers who led the camp and the bush classroom.
Bush Classroom Activities
On the first day, the students arrived at the outstation and set up their tents. The first activity was a talk by Winston Thompson, Yugul Mangi Assistant Ranger Coordinator. He talked about kinship and skin groups. The Rangers then took the students for a walk around the billabong to look at native plants and learn their traditional names and uses. They also talked about the work of the rangers and how they built an exclusion fence around the billabong to keep the buffalo out.
On the second day, Clarry Rogers talked to the students more about the ranger’s work and then took students for a walk to look for sugar bags and bush medicine.
In the afternoon, the Ngukurr Language Centre ran lessons with the students on the Nunggubuyu and Rembarunga languages. That night, the students performed Bunggul with the help of the rangers and elders and learnt about sharing stories through dance.
The NLC’s Caring for Country and Community Development & Planning units are working with the SEAL IPA Advisory Committee to plan projects using some of their income from carbon abatement work. The Advisory Committee has a vision for a culture project and this camp is their first project. They are collaborating with the local ranger groups in Ngukurr and Numbulwar to deliver two culture camps.
Overall, it was a great camp. The kids learnt a lot from the senior people about country, looking after country and their culture. Everyone worked together to make the trip successful. Thanks to all those involved.