Buna — Water

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.

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Culture & Governance

When considering water rights, what are some changes in the way we as a nation need to govern access to water, and what are the steps the government should consider to ensure good governance when it comes to water rights? How will you determine what is good governance in the case of protecting our water rights? Would you consider Indigenous governance as a vital role to play in determining good governance? • What is governance? The Kids encyclopedia defines governance as “the way a group of people such as a country do things”.

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• What groups are or should be involved in good governance of our water bodies? Write a letter to your local MP with your ideas on good governance of a local water body. How else might you champion our water rights? Check out the stories on Earth Guardians. earthguardians.org and the work of the Seed Indigenous Youth Climate

Network seedmob.org.au

Arts & Communication

What is one local Indigenous story from the land you are on that depicts the preservation and protection of water? For example, Tiddalik the Frog NSW/VIC, and Kubirri in Far North Queensland. Present your findings as a poster or powerpoint presentation to your class Watch: Tiddalik the frog, Museum Victoria: bit.ly/3sp6Cwn Read about Kubirri eBook by Simply Splendid Productions:

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First Science

Indigenous people’s use of science and technology combined with Indigenous knowledge have paved the way for future generations to thrive and survive. One example of the use of water is through using a dilly bag to leach the toxins from fruit by placing the fruit in the dilly bag and running water through it. Water is very important to Indigenous women as they hold a lot of the sacred and important stories relating to the knowledge water holds, furthermore water is considered to be equal to people in many Indigenous communities. What is the local Indigenous name for water in the area you are from and how do the community where you live respect water (eg. equal to humans etc.)? What are some other Indigenous methods of filtering water or leaching foods to draw out toxins? Visit a water body from your local area. Take a small sample of the water and test it using a tool such as the Arduino Environmental Monitor. What are the ways that you could improve the water quality? Consider Indigenous ways of utilising, managing, protecting or caring for water.

CURRICULUM LINKS

Year 7 — Some of Earth’s resources are renewable, including water that cycles through the environment, but others are nonrenewable (ACSSU116)

Year 10 — Global systems, including the carbon cycle, rely on interactions involving the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere (ACSSU189)