Wabubadda (Jirrbal) Aboriginal Corporation (WAC) directed the project from the start. The main goal was to link Jirrbal Elders knowledge and intelligence with previous archaeological, historical and vegetation research to advance the understanding of Jirrbal cultural landscapes that are rapidly disappearing. The focus were two culturally significant places with high cultural landscape values; Koombooloomba Pocket and Urumbal Pocket (KP and UP). The pockets are surviving remnant Eucalypt ‘pockets’ within Queensland’s Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, and have survived rainforest invasion from over 8000 years of Jirrbal cultural burning regimes.
The archaeological site at UP is to date the oldest Aboriginal campsite in the Wet Tropics, dating back to at least 8000 years ago whilst Jirrbal oral history refers to KP as a traditional women’s site, used by Jirrbal women to teach young women about toxic nut food processing and passing down cultural knowledge. KP is close to locations in nearby rainforests of several significant culturally modified trees that have not been visited for many decades. The declaration of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area 1980s indirectly led to 'closing the gate' for Aboriginal rainforest people. This project reconnected Jirrbal people with their country and cultural sites to begin the process of reinstating ancient Jirrbal cultural landscapes.
Aims and Methods
1. Collect baseline vegetation data at KP and UP. Jirrbal field officers and a rainforest botanist undertook vegetation assessments at KP and UP, incorporating current (non-cultural input) management practices and Jirrbal cultural practices.
Vegetation training was integrated with standardised vegetation assessments, cultural resource mapping, long-term monitoring of vegetation plots, and management planning with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services. Jirrbal field officers were taught basic archaeological survey- and site recording methods, and undertook cultural assessments in culturally sensitive areas previously not surveyed.
Jirrbal Elders worked with archaeologist Alice Buhrich s to guide the dendroglyph research, which aimed at recording the health of trees and discussing management priorities. Drone training was carried out by a James Cook University lecturer, and drone imagery was recorded over the study areas, providing detailed aerial photography to compare with available digitised legacy imagery. The aim is to produce a composite of past and present biocultural habitats to map cultural landscapes.
2. Repatriation of excavated cultural materials to country. Archaeologist Richard Cosgrove has previously worked on Jirrbal country, excavating pre-European Jirrbal camp sites in the Upper Tully River area. He participated in the planning phase of repatriating previously excavated cultural materials from Urumbal Pocket. Jirrbal Elders celebrated the event of bringing the material home to country as part of the project.
3. Production of the ‘Jirrbal natural and cultural management manual’ for the community, government, and non-government resource managers. The Jirrbal natural and cultural management manual will be an important tool in future co-management of our country together with Queensland Park and Wildlife Services. Results from the project will guide its structure, incorporating field data, in-house data entry, survey and recording techniques, identifying archaeological site types and other cultural evidence. It will include geo-referenced imagery of Jirrbal country and historical information to enhance mapping research skills. These manuals will aid future independent work by the community, amongst other things.
Update: The manual will form part of the final research output report, which is currently being written. The report will be submitted to Yumi at a later stage.
This project provided Jirrbal people who participated with a range of new skills. Jirrbal field officers participated in basic archaeological, vegetation and animal survey techniques, undertook drone training by a professional drone pilot and carried out drone imagery work in both project areas, and carried out pedestrian surveys in a culturally significant area (KP) previously not investigated for its cultural and natural values. Previous and new data collected will inform future co-management plans of cultural and natural resources.
Aside from our field officers, the project provided many other Jirrbal people with employment opportunities, including cooks, camp managers, administration roles and project assistants. Elders participated in workshops and meetings and provided important guidance to everyone involved.
The project has strengthened our ability to manage our native title land and cultural sites when an Indigenous Ranger Group one day is established on our country.
Output(s)
Shared by Gordon Grimwade.