SECTION 2 | CONCEPTS & ACTIVITIES
Buna Buna (water) is considered sacred in the Yalanji community as it holds many of the creation stories. Important locations in Daintree are marked as sacred women’s areas and men are forbidden to enter. This protocol has been in place for thousands of years and still continues today. As Australia struggles to protect water rights for not only First Nations peoples but the broader community, and as the rivers die and the seas rise, these important sacred women’s stories are being lost. These stories hold invaluable knowledge that sustains water for humanity.
Aqua Nullius is a term used now in a legal setting to discuss the role of First Nations peoples and water rights, dispelling the myth of Terra Nullius (nobody’s land). There is ongoing campaigning now for First Nations peoples around their water rights, also. Water is a vital life force for humanity and is a basic human right. Impacts from farming and climate change create risks to water bodies that affect those living in urban and rural areas. Associate Professor Bradley Moggridge is a Kamilaroi hydrogeologist who is proving that First Science can play a role in water security. He looks at ways cities plan for water and includes methods that raise its cultural value for better management. • Read the Careers with STEM: Indigenous article ‘Caring for Country’ p14 with stories from Dr Cass Hunter and Associate Professor Bradley Moggridge in conservation and protection of water. bit.ly/3t23Qfr
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