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psychotrenny · 1 year ago

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I've seen some people say that one aspect of Palestinian tactics is to instill fear into the settler population to encourage them to leave. To the extent that this is true I'm not sure but it reminds me of an approach many Indigenous peoples in Australia adopted while resisting European settlement. It was quite common for indigenous warriors to avoid direct confrontation with settlers and instead attack their crops, livestock and/or buildings. Many times they would even attempt to wound rather than kill any settlers they did encounter. This was in order to drive settlers away while through fear and attrition while minimising the chances of state retribution that wholesale massacres might incur.

These attacks were usually directed against the isolated farmsteads that cropped up in areas newly opened to white settlement. The ratio of physical to psychological devastation varied between specific instances. Attacks against crops were often timed to coincide with the harvest period in order to inflict the greatest difficulties onto settlers. Crops and livestock were often also targeted as a source of food for their people, which became especially important as encroaching white settlement destroyed their hunting grounds and conflict disrupted their normal routines of food production and land management. Horses were particularly favoured targets as even the warriors who didn't know how to ride knew how important they were to the whites and so seeked to deny them as an asset. Use of fire to modify the landscape and direct the movement of animals was ubiquitous among Indigenous Australian peoples and they often skillfully used it to destroy European property or deny them movement through certain areas. Other times attacks took on a more psychological focus, harassing and humiliating settlers in their homes and communities without lethal violence. Through various systems of smoke signals, messengers and tree markings these attacks were usually well co-ordinated. Often one smaller attack would act as a diversion for the main assault; such as drawing a main body of settlers away while their houses were ransacked and burned or alternatively keeping them locked up in their houses while livestock and crops were stolen or destroyed. Trickery and subterfuge were also commonly employed, such as using "friendly" aboriginals known to the whites in order to gain entry to fortified buildings or lure groups of settlers away. Some of the more successful examples of Indigenous Australians using raiding to drive off or delay European settlement include the resistance of the Jagera people to settlement in the Darling Downs region in the 1840s, the campaigns of the Milmenura people in the Coorong district in the same decade and the conflict of the Wiradjuri people resisting settlement in Central Western NSW in the 1820s.

If you're interested in learning more about Indigenous Australian resistance to European settlement some good books and articles include: A different mode of war? by Ray Kerkhove, The Australian Frontier Wars 1788-1838 by John Connor, Six Australian Battlefields by Al Grassby and Marji Hill, The Black Resistance by Fergus Robinson and Forgotten War by Henry Reynolds. I haven't personally read a lot of these books, just heard many good things about them from sources I trust well enough so I feel comfortable giving them a recommend.

To be honest I'm not all that read up on Australian history* but I have picked up a thing or two that I figured I might as well share since it seemed relevant. Now Australian Aboriginal resistance never stopped and it is still ongoing to this day, but it currently takes very different forms to that which I had been describing; with the sheer demographic advantage of settler society, resistance tactics were forced to adapt radically. Still, reading about the current resistance in Palestine did remind me a bit of some of the tactics that were once employed here so I figured it would be worth giving an overview. Despite the many differences across time and place, different conditions and circumstances, the fundamental violence of European Capitalist Settler Colonialism remains relatively unchanged. So you'll often seen similarities between the tactics of incredibly differing peoples as they are forced to fight a similar foe. I can only hope it's a foe that won't live to see the end of this century, and it certainly seems to be on the decline, but only time can tell just how long it'll hold on for. Until then colonised peoples all around the world will have no choice but to keep fighting, just as they have from the beginning

*like as important as it is to understand your history I just don't find it all that interesting compared to other parts of my world and so just find myself distracted reading up on them instead

#stella speaks #australian history

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bergens-adventure-tours · 2 years ago

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Week 10: April 17th – 23rd, 2023 // Change of Directions

It’s crazy to think how quickly things can change in such short period of time, and how many wonderful opportunities are waiting for you when you least expect them. This week was one of embracing going with the flow, and really listening to what my heart n soul need right now. Being on my own has brought about a lot of time to sit with myself and reflect on a lot of things. One of the key things I’ve come to acknowledge is the realization that I’m heading into a period where I’m craving more community and solid connection. I realize this comes at a funny time, as I’ve just begun my solo trip, but I’ve also come to acknowledge that I had been spending so much of the previous year on my own. Don’t get me wrong – 2022 was an amazing year, filled with some of my absolute favourite memories, incredible first experiences, many lessons and brought me a lot of lifelong friends; but I never found any roots in community. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, nor do I think that was what I was needing this past year. But, as I move into this next chapter of my life, and after experiencing a handful of strong, connected communities here in Australia, it’s reminded me of some things I’ve been missing since graduating from BCIT.

And this week may have brought me the opportunities and connections for exactly what I’m looking for, in ways I was not expecting.

Some of you may remember I mentioned getting new runners back in week 8 to finally get back into running again, but you’ll probably notice I have yet to mention going on a run… well guys, be proud because I finally did it! I woke up Monday morning feeling oddly energetic and with a lot of bounce in my step, and I knew, if I didn’t take advantage of this right away it was going to be a while before I got it back again… so I laced up my runners and hit the road! At this point, I don’t think I’d run in at least 4, maybe even 5 years, but it felt SO good. I came back to my camp spot at the beach and immediately jumped into the ocean to cool off.

I spent the rest of the day getting through a fair bit of driving until the last bit of energy wore off and found a nice spot next to a Salt Lake in the Coorong National Park. I took my time reading in the sun, cooking some dinner, listening to podcasts, answering messages, and working on last weeks blog.

Tuesday was a very productive and relaxing day! I decided to stay put and spend my day reading lots, finishing up last week’s blog post, some yoga, and applying to a bunch of guiding jobs in the Northern Territory.

As a little aside – the past week I’ve been looking a lot into visa work and trying to sort out what I want to do, and when I should do it. With having spent a decent amount of money in my first couple months in just getting to Australia, getting the van sorted, and honestly just on other experiences, I’ve been feeling the pressure of the bank account dwindling. Initially my game plan was to spent the next few months exploring the interior then wrapping down the west coast and finding some farm work mid-winter (July for Australia). While I could’ve probably made this work pretty easily with my current savings, the more I looked into options for my visa, the more I started to lean towards guiding jobs in the Northern Territory. After a lot more reflecting on the types of experiences I’m wanting right now, the more it was making sense to look for work during my time in the interior.

The next morning, I started with a quick back workout and went for a 4.5km run along part of the salt lake + trails. At this point, it’s been a while since I’d had a shower, so I found a sweet free one at a gas station on route towards Adelaide. I ended up staying the night in Port Elliot and spent the evening looking into more stuff for my trip through the interior, applied to more jobs, and read.

Thursday was a really fun day for me! I woke up wanting to do some touristy things, so I got myself dressed up for the first time in a while, made the last 2-hour drive to Adelaide, and wandered around the city! I checked out the Art Gallery of South Australia and the South Australian Museum; Both were really cool and free to enter for anyone. They were also right next to the Adelaide University, which is a beautiful little campus right in the heart of the city… it had me thinking about how I’ve been wanting to go back to school again, and wondering what it might be like to study here in Australia in the future…

I spent the afternoon on a little video sharing my partnership with Last Object! They’re a really cool brand creating alternatives to replace single-use products like cotton swabs, menstrual pads, face wipes, and tissues! Check out their website https://lastobject.com and use the code LastPlanet for 10% off any order.

Today was also the theatre release date of Bob Brown’s documentary ‘The Giants.’ It was such a beautiful and inspirational film covering the political and environmental history of conservation in Australia’s old growth forests, and direction it’s heading today. I unfortunately don’t think it’s available outside of Australia at the moment, but I highly recommend checking out Bob Brown’s foundation. https://bobbrown.org.au There are a lot of parallels between what is happening in Australia and Canada’s logging industry, the governments [in]actions, and the lack of conservation for these important biomes.

I also got an exciting email today to schedule an interview the next morning for a Trainee Guiding Job in Alice Springs!

Friday ultimately decided the next phase of my trip… The interview in the morning went so well that they contacted me later that same day saying they were going to skip second interviews for narrowing down candidates and offered me the job! So in 11 days I will be starting my training as a tour guide in Alice Springs! It’s going to be a pretty interesting and exciting experience in a lot of ways, and I’m really looking forward to it. I spent the whole day camped outside of a park in Adelaide, sorting out the plans for the next phase, finding a climbing group in Alice to join, answering messages, looking into living options, etc.

Saturday was the epitome of “going with the flow” and I could NOT be more stoked for the plans that got presented to me! Part of the reason I’d been taking so much time to get to Adelaide the past week was largely because I was waiting for my aussie driver’s licence to arrive at Clae’s (Sam’s cousins) place for me to pick up. Coincidentally the licence arrived the night before, and today was the last day for me to pick it up from Clae (if I wanted to meet him), before he was leaving on a week-long trip with a group of friends+his family. Turns out it was a climbing trip in the Grampians they were leaving for that night, and they invited me to join them! Because I had spent the whole day prior mostly being anxious about the interview, and whether or not I was making the right decision, I had a full day of chores to work through but knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I went into overdrive mode and checked everything off the list from groceries, to laundry, to cleaning out fridge, to buying a new camera lens off marketplace, to going into town to pick up a few items (including my own climbing harness + helmet), to finding a free shower at the beach! It was a jam packed day with lots of running around, but I managed to time everything PERFECTLY and met up with Clae, his partner Harriet, and one of their friends to begin the 5-hour drive to the Grampians. It was a long day, as we didn’t leave until 6pm, but I couldn’t be more stoked about the week to come!!

It felt kind of funny knowing that I basically backtracked the distance I just took over a week to travel, in a single night…

But boy was it so worth it. Our first day in the Grampians was so good! We’re a group of 8, and everyone is so incredibly sweet, supportive and just immediately so welcoming. We started the day with a quick drive and 30min hike into our first sport climb location: the Ravines. It was a beautiful spot in between two cliff faces, and we had the whole place to ourselves for the majority of the time. It had been a while since I did any sport climbing, so my arms felt pretty dead pretty quickly (not helping that I started on a hard 19 lol), but it felt so good to get out with a group and watch everyone else. We went back to the camp for lunch and for Clae + Harriet to put their 1.5-year-old down for a nap, before heading out to a different spot for some evening bouldering. I had been feeling pretty low energy after that morning, but found a second wind after a quick hike and some really fun boulder projects. We had the most beautiful sunset and I got to use my new lens for the first time up at the boulders – earning me the nickname ‘JC,’ inspired by famous photographer and videographer “Jimmy Chin” (have got a long way to go before reaching his level, but a nickname I’m happily welcoming lol). Ended the week with dinner around a camp fire and some really amazing new friends. <3

This week started with me wondering how I was going to access community while on the road, and ended with me landing a job guiding in some beautiful and historically important locations, 7 new friends, and my first big climbing trip finally under my belt! Learn to say ‘yes’ more to life, and the adventures will never fail to amaze you.

Stay passionate and curious, Hunter♡

04/24/2023

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cosmicanger · 20 days ago

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Yvonne Koolmatrie; Coorong Dreaming, 1995, sedge, 117.5 × 125 × 1 cm, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, © Yvonne Koolmatrie

#art #ref

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weywardwisdom · 2 months ago

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~Here’s a heads-up for First Peoples—the names and images of people who've died are in here.

‘Narrung? Where’s that?’

Yep, that’s what most city-dwellers ask.

Narrung? It nests on the northern edge of the Narrung Peninsula. And that lies between the lakes and the Kurrangk. We land-grabbers call it the Coorong.

The Narrung Peninsula could have been an island—just like the others scattered near the sea mouth. Land-grabbers named the small ones after the animals they brought here and let go with no thought to the harm they would cause—Cow, Ewe, Goat, Rabbit, Rat.

The first time I set foot on the Narrung peninsula, I was very young. So my memory is as hazy as the mist that moves in from the sea. Wind is what I remember most. It was so strong I could lean into it and not fall over. And seagulls seemed to stand still in the air, right above our heads. I reached up my arm and one daring bird did a touch-and-go, landing on my hand. We were on a road on concrete stilts that stopped a lot of water going out to sea. Tauwitcherie barrage was built by landgrabbers, tired of droughts and floods ruining their livelihoods. The barrages keep the water level high—for a reliable supply—no thought for the old old Ngarrindjeri road-ways.

When Ngarrindjeri elder, Dr Doreen Kartinyeri, thought about her younger days, she went back to times before land-grabbers built the barrages. She recalled:

‘My mind went back to my childhood when we spent holidays at Kumarangk. We used to walk across to the island from Mark’s Point’ (My Ngarrindjeri Calling, 114).

Mark’s Point is on the Narrung Peninsula. It’s maybe a twenty minute boat road to the island. You used to be able to walk it in drier months—but you can’t now.

Aunty Veronica Brodie echoed Aunty Dodo, when Camp Coorong set up a visit to the Tauwitcherie barrage. It was all about sharing culture in 1998.

Yes, road-ways have a long, long history here. We land-grabbers weren’t the first to make them. This was not a ‘dead continent’ where ‘nothing was happening until Europeans discovered it’, pointed out Australien historian Dr Heather Dalton (2018, Images of cockatoo on 13th-century Vatican manuscript inspire trade route rethink).

First Peoples have long woven their nations together along old, old routes.

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Enter Ngurunderi, ancestor the Ngarrindjeri people. He ‘could travel through time and space, along rivers and hills, across lakes and seas’, story-teller Henry Rankine told Diane Bell (1998, Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin, 91). Yep, that’s Jimmy Rankine’s dad.

Enter Ngurunderi’s spouse. She was older than Ngurunderi. And very heroic. She created the river road we land-grabbers call the ‘Murray’. She did it to save those she loved. When wild-fire raced across the land, she warned everyone. She ‘saved her companions by damping them down’. Elder Milerum—Clarence Long told the the story:

‘The old woman was engulfed in flames and died but as the people fled, her body leaped up like a great flame and she thrust her digging stick into the ground and the Murray River appeared’ (Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin, 100).

Ok, are you thinking the river doesn’t count as a road? Hmmm, I doubt the 50 First Nations who’ve used it to travel all along the waterway would agree.

Besides. Ngurunderi could walk on water. Ok, not without help. Ngarrindjeri elder David Unaipon told the story: ‘Now he found that he was confronted by the Murray flowing into the Southern ocean. So he spoke to the Great Spirit, asking Him to make it possible that he could be able to walk across. His prayer was answered’ (Legendary tales of the Australian aborigines, 130).

Also. Ngurunderi could walk ‘so fast that he covered seventy to eighty miles in an hour’, said the elder (Legendary tales of the Australian aborigines, 130).

These days the fastest human running speed is something short of 30mph. Was Unaipon’s imagination running away with him? Thing is, this elder’s ancestor was tall. Very very tall. Fossils of very very big animals have been found here. Just saying.

And. Time travel was also something Unaipon’s ancestors did, long before some English novelist drempt up his make-believe time machine. Henry Rankine said:

‘In the dreaming of the Ngarrindjeri people, Ngurunderi ...could travel through time and space, along rivers and hills, across lakes and seas’ (1998, Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin, 91).

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Enter Ngarrindjeri elder, Margaret Jacobs.

‘We got no Dreaming’, she said. There was an awkward silence. I sensed some folks were puzzled. Bundles of fresh weaving rushes lay beside us. Most of this group were city-dwellers who—under the watchful eyes of Ngarrindjeri elders—had spent a windswept morning sliding their fingers down to the very bottom of each long rush stem, then carefully tugging it free from the clump.

But now we were sitting, listening to elders’ share their weaving wisdom. And now, clever Aunty Maggie had caught our attention. She went on:

‘We got no Dreaming stories. We got Creation Stories. Our stories are Law. They’re not dreamed up things. They’re not made up. They are real’.

Aunty Maggie was not alone in her dislike for the word ‘Dreaming’. ‘Laws’, not ‘Dreaming’, was what elder Matt Rigney spoke about when he talked Ngarrindjeri culture. He used ‘Dreaming’ as an after thought, to help us W.e.i.r.d. listeners understand unfamiliar things. He explained:

‘There are far greater laws, laws that are constructs of our universe – our land and it is all empowering, and that dear friends is our creation stories (Dreaming.) Many of us who have had the privilege of being told and taught these values and beliefs, have felt the great forces being released when a people share a common vision’ (2010, ‘A Critical Consciousness’,1).

‘Dreaming’, by the way, was made up by Adolphus P Elkin, after working in Western Astray-ya (1932, OED). ‘Dreamtime’ was made up by Frank J Gillen, after working in Central Austray-ya (1896, OED). ‘Dreaming track’ was made up by Ron M Berndt, after working in the Northern Territory, South and Western Astray-ya (1974, OED). And in the same vein, ‘songline’ was made up by Alice. M. Moyle, after working on Groote Eylant (1966, OED) Yep, all invented by W.e.i.r.d. scientists.

Aunty Maggie deserves to be heard, because these English words are W.e.i.r.d. guesses at things that are often ‘restricted knowledge’. They are none of our little land-grabber business. Besides, the English terms lump 500 or so First Nations ways of being, ways of caring for Country, into one or two trite little words.

There are ‘many paths, many stories’, notes Diane Bell (Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin, 100).

‘Dreaming tracks’—aka ‘songlines’—‘link sites and hold stories’, says Head of Indigenous Knowledges at the National Museum of Austray-ya, Prof Margo Ngawa Neale. These ‘story places’ are ‘like libraries, storing critical knowledge for survival’. She explains:

‘Songlines can be visualised as corridors or pathways of knowledge that crisscross the entire continent, sky and water’(2023, Oct 4, In Aboriginal culture, Songlines are like libraries — and they store knowledge that's critical to survival).

‘Many of the routes shared through Songlines, are now modern highways and roads across Australia’, notes Kaytetye company director Rona Glynn-McDonald ( 2019, Songlines, Common Ground).

Even a W.e.i.r.d. gubment body noticed First Peoples’ long-standing road networks. ‘Roads—even major highways were not so much constructed as worn into existence’, it said. And they followed ‘ancient aboriginal routes’ (1982, European Heritage Of The Coorong, 29).

So the roads you take to get to Narrung—I suspect—are held together by much more than gravel and tar.

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Thing is, there’s more than one Ngarrindjeri word for road. One is made from the word for walking. Another is made from the word for foot—as in following footprints. Another can also mean the sea, and reminds me how old Ngarrindjeri global trade routes are. Yet another can also mean ‘high up’ (2009, Ngarrindjeri Dictionary, 83, 156, 163, 179).

‘High up’? Ok, English also has ‘highways’. But the English ‘high’ means ‘main’. The Old English ‘cyniges heiweg’—king’s highway—was a main route between two towns. They were full of thieves, waiting to rob unwary travellers. So they had to be guarded by the king’s people (OED).

The guardians of Ngarrindjeri highways are much higher up—I suspect.

Enter Ngarrindjeri elder, Veronica Brodie. She talked about Ngarrindjeri ancestors, great beings ‘of the heavens’ who were like guides and guardians. They ‘gave directives what they needed to live by or do certain things by. It was like a Cosmic calendar’, said Aunty Veronica. The ‘Cosmic Calendar’ mirrors ‘the seasonal round on earth’, notes Diane Bell (1998, Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin, 580). It lays out the seasonal roads that Ngarrindjeri have followed ‘over thousands of thousands of years’.

‘Keeping to the paths is something that children learn’, points out Diane Bell. Ngarrindjeri young ones, that is. It’s all about showing respect for ‘the soft body of the land’. The ‘nerve endings of that body would feel’ pain. So:

‘They would keep to the paths and not hurt the land with their light touch’ (Ngarrindjeri Wurrwarrin, 272).

So. Those vast skyway highways of old, old story, are ways of teaching and learning. Of sharing and caring. Of laws for surviving and thriving—on Country.

Did the British land-grabbers stay on the roads?

No. They have a long, long history of straying into other people’s lands. The story of the English ‘road’ is telling. It’s not one of caring and sharing.

The word ‘road’ goes back to the Old English ‘rād’. It’s made from the verb ‘ridan’—to ride. Back then your ‘rād’ could mean a ride on horseback, on waves, or as warriors, off to war (OED). Back in the 10th century, you could a-plundering on the ‘hweól-rád’—wheel-road—the road that crossed land, or by the ‘hran-rád’—whale-road—the sea.

Whatever the ‘rād’ you took, Scotts pronounced it ‘raid’. They often ‘raided’—rode out—to protect their lands from invading English louts. But did that stop the English raids and road-building in lands that did not belong to them? No!

‘Murder raid’ is what Oodgeroo Noonuccal called it. She hurt for what the English raids did to her people:

‘Peace was yours, Australian man, with tribal laws you made, / Till white Colonials stole your peace with rape and murder raid’ (1964, ‘The Dispossessed’, For Uncle Willie Mckenzie, We Are Going, 16).

‘White man’ was way off track, a First Nations’ person, said to be an ‘intelligent old man’, told anthropologist Bill Stanner. He noticed:

‘White man got no dreaming, / Him go ‘nuther way. / White man, him go different, / Him got road belong himself’ (1979, White Man Got No Dreaming: Essays, 1938-1973, 24).

Enter Captain Sturt of the 39th Regiment of Foot. He put his foot in it in 1830. He came here without so much as a by-your-leave to First Peoples.

Ngarrindjeri warriors were on stand-by, ready to ‘drive the white men back to sea’, notes Diane Bell (1998, Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin, 146).

Sturt was the gubment scout. The British were planning to grab more of this ‘great southern land’. He reported back:

‘We observed a large body of natives, who set up the most terrific yells as we approached. They were fully equipped for battle, and, as we neared the shore, came down to meet us with the most violent threats...An elderly man walked close to the water's edge unarmed, and, evidently, directed the others. He was followed by seven or eight of the most daring, who crept into the reeds, with their spears shipped to throw at us. I, therefore, took up my gun to return their salute’ (1833, Two Expeditions Into The Interior Of Southern Australia).

(Portrait of Captain Charles Sturt, SA State Library, fair use, text—from W.e.i.r.d. Australiens and former PM, John Howard)

Also. Sturt was surprised at the size of the local roads. He said that he’d met a ‘large population hereabouts whose roads were not narrow walking tracks’. He reckoned:

‘From the size and number of the huts, and from the breadth of footpaths…we were passing through a very populous district’ (1830, Jan 26, quoted in 1979, Conquest of the Ngarrindjeri, Graham Jenkins, 27).

But. Did the land-grabbers mention those facts when writing the 1834 South Australian Foundation Act? No. They lied. They called it ‘waste and unoccupied’. That’s theft. That’s genocide.

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Did we landgrabbers learn from First Peoples? No. We invented yet more words to hide our genocide. We belittled First Peoples’ seasonal caring for Country travels with the dismissable word ‘walkabout’. W.e.i.r.d. yt people say:

‘Walkabout is a term applied to the sudden and unpredictable departure into the bush for a few weeks of an Aborigine, with or without his family. White employers dislike this, naturally, and cite this as evidence of the lack of “stickability” of Aborigines generally’ (1969,The Original Australians, AH and AW Reed, 84).

How is the word ‘walkabout’ not insulting? It’s found in the writings of racists. It’s been used to make First peoples out to be a ignorant and superstitious lot. A widely read rag thought nothing of printing the poison:

‘The old hands have frightened the n...s with tales of the new regime, and the n...s have ‘gone walkabout along a bush’ in mobs (1911, Nov 2, Aboriginalities, From “Jack o’ the North”,The Bulletin, 14).

Yes, this land’s ‘longest-running magazine’, the Bulletin, really did print those offensive words. Also. It told ‘the oldest inhabitants’ to ‘alter or die’. It’s masthead, after all, carried the slogan ‘Australia for the White Man’ until 1961.

Some people, by the way, now wail that using the term ‘white’ is ‘racist’. Sigh! Some people have short memories. They forget who invented ‘whiteness’ and who proudly used it as a weapon—as in the White Astray-lia Policy. Besides, ‘white’ doesn’t refer to skin colour. It’s short for all the bad ideas that make white supremacists think they deserve their privileges.

But there’s worse. Land-grabbers used ‘walkabouts’ as an excuse for their killing sprees. Yes, there’s been a Great Australien silence, covering that up. But one 19th century Australien writer broke it—sort of. Mary Gilmore used the passive English voice. So she didn’t admit who the killers were:

‘The Dead Water’ was a spring soak or waterhole at which no black sat, because all the group in whose walk-about it had been were killed out (1935, More Recollections, Mary Gilmore, 34).

Land-grabbers’ used poison—most likely—to murder First Peoples on ‘walkabout’. Lynley Wallis notes:

‘It was very easy for Europeans guilty of this crime to escape detection’ (“Each Poor Poisoned Wretch”: Distributing Death By Poison On Queensland’s Colonial Frontier).

And Lynley Wallis would know. She's an Australien archaeologist.

Also. ‘Walkabout’ was used by Tourism Australia in 2008. It spent over $40m to show a couple of W.e.i.r.d. YT people swimming in a waterhole. A young Aboriginal person says, ‘Come walkabout’.

Boo, Tourism Australia! Given what land-grabbers did to First People at waterholes, how was your ad not in bad taste?!

These days, land-grabbers will sell a ‘Walkabout’ swag; go to Walkabout Creek; stay at the Walkabout Hotel; watch the movie ‘Walkabout’; and even claim that an Advent ‘walk-a-bout’ will help, if you are ‘troubled’. Yes, US Christian Church stole its ‘walk-about’ from First Peoples’ culture, saying:

‘In Australia, a “walk-about” is a rite of passage for adolescent aborigines that could last as long as 6 months. But people who are troubled about something also go on “walk-a-bout”...The experience is said to clear their minds of all the extraneous things that prevent them from dealing with the problem and coming to a workable solution...Advent is our walk-a-bout into a wilderness where we can hear that voice trying to bring us back from the fantasy to reality’ (2011, December 4, ‘Our Advent Wilderness’, St John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pennsylvania, US).

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I've never heard any Ngarrindjeri elder use the term ‘walk-about’—unless making a jibe at land-grabbers. I have heard Ngarrindjeri talk long and fondly about the long walks they did as young ones with their elders. It’s a sacred cultural thing. Ngarrindjeri elder Matt Rigney points out:

‘Even you as white people whose god walks and talks to you as a friend to a friend. Please acknowledge that we the First Nations Peoples also walk and talk with our creators’ (2010, Our Precious Family).

Back in the day when few Ngarrindjeri could afford cars, Ngarrindjeri would walk long distances. A Ngarrindjeri footballer or two would walk from Raukkan to Meningie, and then play a great match. It’s 43 kms by road.

Hundreds of Ngarrindjeri and their allies went on ‘The Long Walk’ in November 1996. Yes, folk walked from Tarntanyangga on Kaurna Lands to Kumarangk. Or just part of the way. Ngarrindjeri elders didn’t miss out. They were following in Camp Coorong’s bus. How do I know? Ellen Trevorrow asked me to drive it!

Aunty Dodo then welcomed everyone at Amelia Park, Goolwa (My Ngarrindjeri Calling,184).

Walking—on Ngarrindjeri lands—is, as ever, a sacred sharing caring thing. Here's Matt Rigney again:

‘Many of us...have felt the great forces being released when a people share a common vision. We speak to them in terms of “They have a strong heart and often walk with the ancestors’ (2010, Our Critical Consciousness, Matt Rigney).

This thoughtful educator also reminded us:

‘The tops of our hillsides, the wet of our nurseries, the body heat of our mother, and skies all belong to the same family. So when the governments of Australia tell us they are going to damage or disturb our mother and father it causes great pain to my people…We require one condition: that is you must treat all living things that walk or crawl on our Mother Earth with respect’ (2010, Our Precious Family, Matt Rigney).

(1996, November, The Long Walk)

(1999, Ngarrindjeri march, Goolwa)

(2005, Connecting Spirits’ walk at the Raukkan Cemetery, in memory of Ngarrindjeri who were killed in battle in WW1).

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myhanssolo · 5 months ago

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Why Australia is the beach capital of the WORLD

Twenty-one photographs that show why Australia is the beach capital of the WORLD, from Perth to Sydney via Tasmania 1.THE COORONG, SOUTH AUSTRALIA: The Coorong, south of Adelaide, lays claim to being Australia’s longest continuous beach. This epic strip of sand stretches for 194km (121 miles) from Cape Jaffa to the Murray Mouth (above) 2.MEMORY COVE, EYRE PENINSULA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Memory Cove…

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#Australia #Beach #travel #traveler

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gaetaniu · 5 months ago

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Fossile di cranio ben conservato di un uccello gigante estinto trovato in Australia

L’illustrazione raffigura un Genyornis newtoni a pelo d’acqua in una zona umida o in una palude. La scena è stata ispirata da luoghi che esistono oggi nel sud dell’Australia, come la zona di Ngarrindjeri nei pressi del Coorong e del basso fiume Murray. Tuttavia, quando Genyornis newtoni era in circolazione, questo tipo di ambiente era più diffuso in tutto il Paese. Molti fossili di Genyornis sono…

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lindsaystravelblogs4 · 8 months ago

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Kingston SE

Day 13 26 February

We drove south to Bordertown and on to Naracoorte today. We pulled into a roadside stop along the way to eat our lunch and in no time, two guys with trucks and earthmoving equipment turned up to work on improving the surface of the parking area – it certainly needed it! They said it would very soon become very noisy and dusty and they needed to work in the area where we were parked so we moved a hundred metres further on to another patch of shade and gobbled our lunch down just as they were starting to work.

We thought we might have stayed in Naracoorte but decided to go a bit further to Kingston (SE) on the coast. We set up in the foreshore caravan park there and relaxed with a couple of cold ones before dinner.

The Cape Jaffa Lighthouse overlooking our caravan park. It was repositioned here when the Light was decommisioned at Cape Jaffa.

The caravan park was just across a lawn area and a couple of dunes to the beach so we walked down to the beach to join the small throng congregating there to photograph the sunset.

Sunset from the beach.

Day 14 27 February

We did a load of washing in the park laundry and hung it out to dry – and it was dry within about an hour. We worked on our PCs and made some phone calls (we are trying to find a better place to store our van when we get home) and had a delicious lunch. We eat very well (VERY well!) in the caravan! And then we went for a drive around town and the nearby area. I found quite a few birds near the mouth of the Main Drain and when we drove down some of the other tracks off the main north-south road, we discovered that driving on the beach is a very common thing here. One of the drives was fourteen kilometres each way but we just did a short one – about five clicks each way. At one point along the beach, we encountered a flock of some twenty-odd Red-capped Plovers who were surprisingly unfazed by us. They happily sat ten or fifteen metres away and let us watch and photograph them with no sign of fear. It was a lovely little encounter and we returned to the van soon after. We had been trying to get rid of some recycling that we had accumulated but couldn’t see any yellow-topped bins, so I called in at the Information Centre to see if they did recycling here. They do but it is all very strange with green-topped bins being the only disposal avenue - and only for private premises. We eventually found some in the caravan park but none on the street – at least we managed to ‘put it in a bin’ and our conscience is now clear. (More than a week later, we have found no other way to dispose of our later cache of recycling.)

Day 15 28 February

It rained for about ten or fifteen minutes overnight, contrary to the forecast of zero percent of zero millimetres of precipitation – but at least everything seemed just a little cooler and fresher when we got up.

We had a long drive today but one of the best days of the trip so far. We headed out to the main highway and pointed the car north – and eventually reached Meningie at the top of the Coorong after travelling the full length and then some – well over 300 kilometres for the day.

The road is mainly on the inside of a long range of dunes, the crest of which ripples along unevenly. It was notable that all the high spots on the dunes had a sparce covering of some sort of grass or shrubbery on it: clear evidence that even very small shrubs can withstand the winds better than the adjacent areas that are much more heavily eroded and metres lower than the peaks.

We called in at a number of places as we headed north. The first was at Chinamen’s Wells – something of a tribute to the thousands of Chinese adventurers who arrived along the coast here and walked (or died along the way) to the gold mining enticements around Ballarat and Bendigo. Brave souls, but they left a legacy, and we did an interesting couple of kilometres fairly gentle walk recording some of their travails, looking at plants and birds and reading the signage as we went along.

A well dug and used by thousands of Chinese (and others) walking to Ballarat, Bendigo and other gold-mining adventures. The 1100 kilogram lid for the well was cut from the rock a kilometre away and carried to the well - the second such lid cut after the first one cracked in two.

We had another longish walk to a Pelican Lookout a good deal further north. It was a bit disappointing with the pelicans way too far away to see them, but with some spectacular views overhead as they glided in to their roosting islands from miles away. (See my earlier post showing some of the hundreds of pelicans that flew over us like a squadron of huge bombers gliding in on the updrafts to land on their breeding islands a couple of kilometres away.) They are magnificent birds, just riding the air currents and they really do remind me of WWII bombers sailing over us – massive and truly fabulous. We were surrounded by dozens of Singing and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, flitting from bush to bush, singing incessantly, but almost impossible to photograph. I have identified more than eighty species of bird so far this trip, but there are MANY small birds that simply hide and I have been unable to see them well enough to identify them. I saw a very shiny dark snake crossing the path six or seven metres ahead of me but really too far away to identify it. It was a metre-and-a-half long, but I had no wish to encounter it close up.

We drove all the way to Meningie where we had stayed for a week or so (and loved it) several years ago. Unfortunately, it was getting late and we had about 150 kilometres to drive back so we didn’t stay long – and like every other place along the coast, it has changed a lot and didn’t seem to have the appeal of our previous visits.

We called in at a place where a couple of farmers cut a channel to drain a swamp on their properties 70-odd years ago. We had seen it before, but the signage has been upgraded since then and we got a better understanding of what a mammoth job it was for two guys with some pretty basic mechanical assistance. They completed it in less than three years - and ran their farms at the same time.

The sign and a photo of the kilometre long and 34-metre deep channel they cut to make their land more productive.

We also called in at Tilley’s Swamp on the way back. I had seen a few swamps marked on the map, but all were a fair way from the highway. Tilley’s was right on the road according to the map but it was at least ten clicks in. I was about to turn back when we crested a hill and there it was on both sides of the road and with plenty of birds to be seen. We spent half an hour looking and then went on to where a number of other lakes were shown on the map – but all too far away and inaccessible from the road. At least Tilley’s was interesting for me, with at least ten or twelve species on it.

We decided to stay in Kingston for another couple of days so tried to book in, only to find the office closed – so we had to wait until tomorrow to book and pay. We have a mammoth Fifth Wheeler parked next to us in the park. (And I saw a similar one in the RV Park on the other side of town.) It takes up two caravan parking sites and I reckon it is more than two-thirds the size of our entire apartment. It has two levels (giving it more floorspace than our whole apartment) and two extendable areas on each side of the vehicle – four in total. They have small Mazda parked in front of it (that they left running with the lights on for about three hours yesterday) but that would get crushed by the ball-weight if they ever tried to hook it up – quite impossible of course because it requires a B-Double type of hitch. The smallest vehicle that could tow it is something like a Ford 400 or similar. I have seen an older guy there a couple of times, but he would need a wife and a family of ten to fill all the space inside. (A couple of days later, there was a woman with a couple of young kids there – along with a silver Mercedes – but still nothing like the vehicle that would be needed to tow it.)

Day 16 29 February

It seems like years since we had an exceptional day like today – exactly four years in fact, but at least it is the end of summer. We didn’t do a lot today. We did a small load of washing in the laundry (we usually do it in our plunger washing bucket) and hung everything on the line – and it was all dry within an hour or so – it was warm and sunny but also very windy. Heather had a script to fill so we found a pharmacy and drove around the local area a bit more. We went out to the mouth of the creek looking at more birds but there was less variety to see than when we were there a couple of days ago.

Day 17 1 March

Autumn today with fabulous weather to match. It was a nice day for a drive so we set off to follow the coastal road to Cape Jaffa (not a lot to see, but easy to get lost in all the new development) and then on to Robe. We have visited Robe a couple of times before and not liked it with their wall-to-wall tourists. It is now several times bigger than it was on our last visit with roughly ten thousand caravans crowding the van parks, lining the streets, blocking intersections and generally outnumbering the locals twenty to one (maybe fifty - just a guess!). We drove around and took in some of the sights before sitting beside a pretty ordinary lake to eat our sangers. The town has obviously developed a lot since we were last there but it still has very little to recommend it to anyone who has any interest in anything except sitting on the beach or going fishing. It was certainly a great place from which to drive away. The one good thing we did while there was to find a fish wholesaler and we stocked up on a variety of seafood. We also visited the supermarket for a couple of items and replenished our stock of booze. The one thing we have tried to get at numerous places along the Limestone Coast – that is famous for its cockles – is coochies as they call them here. Nobody stocks them and their best advice is to try at Goolwa more than two hundred kilometres away. They sell bags of cockles/coochies for bait ($15 for a 250 gram bag) but they say they are not good to eat.

We went on to Beachport – more of the same, but maybe not quite as nice. I think I am over places with nothing to offer other than their crowded beaches. I live in hope that I will see an unusual seabird or wader when I visit the beach, but such delights are very rare.

Milicent and Penola came next with a bit more historical context, with old stone buildings and some nice parks, but it was getting late so we didn’t spend a lot of time at either and headed back to Kingston. We needed fuel and our 265 litres cost us a tad over $537 – at least we travelled over a thousand clicks for our money – at almost 52 cents a kilometre.

We decided on fish and chips for dinner so went to the main fish-jetty shop that advertises that it closes at 7.30pm. Alas, it closed before we arrived at 5.30. We found another place and ordered our meal there along with about five other groups. They must stockpile the orders and then cook them all together. We all had to wait ages – certainly at least 45 minutes – and then all the orders came together and because some of the orders were very similar, it took a couple of minutes to figure out who owned which order. But the fish was excellent and the chips were crisp and tasty, just how we like them.

Day 17 2 March

We spent the day around the van today. We walked down to the beach after breakfast and spent a bit over half an hour shuffling around in the sand at the water’s edge hoping to catch a meal of cockles for ourselves. There were heaps of shells around, but no cockles so I think the locals must have fished them out. They are obviously around along other beaches, certainly north from here, but not where we were – or was that just my fishing prowess being exhibited again?

We did some washing and around lunchtime, the wind came up and it was no violent that we had to roll the awning in. It has been pretty wild and noisy all afternoon but it has also been quite cool so we can’t complain. I wrote a bit more and caught up with a few deferred tasks before showers late in the afternoon and then yet another delicious dinner.

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wetlandsday · 9 months ago

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AUSTRALIA - Science in the pub: The Coorong, lower lakes explorations.

The Goyder Institute for Water Research are presenting on 2nd February at the Science in the Pub Adelaide.

Title: The Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth: A journey through droughts and floods We are pleased to announce our panelists are: – Dr Nick Whiterod, CLLMM Research Centre, Goyder Institute for Water Research (Discussing the new Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Research Centre and aquatic life of the CLLMM region), – Associate Professor Luke Mosley, University of Adelaide (speaking on Coorong sediment and water quality), – Cassandra Urgl, University of Adelaide (Early Career Researcher, speaking on Aquatic plants on the Coorong)

This will be a story of life in the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth throughout the millennium drought to the recent floods in 2022-23. This will give an insight into the complex interactions between hydrology, sediment and water quality, aquatic plants, and fish life. Discussing the impacts of climate and humans on this unique wetland, which is culturally and environmentally significant at local, national and international scales.

Please join us on Friday 2nd February at the Adelaide Irish Club (13-15 Carrington Street, George Parade, Adelaide). This event kicks off at 6:00 pm and will finish by approx. 7:30 pm. Doors will open at 5:30 pm. All drinks to be purchased at the bar but guests are welcome to bring their own snacks/food.

Water Sensitive Urban Design Impediments and Potential: Contributions to the SA Urban Water Blueprint.

#goyder Institute for water research #Science in the Pub #webinars #world wetlands day #2 February #urban water blueprint #australia

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newbeginning123456789 · 10 months ago

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20231019#Coorong National Park #20240121#

#south australia

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lameesirh22m · 1 year ago

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Lamees Irheem

Q1:What is the main ecological issue?

> Types. Major current environmental issues may include climate change, pollution, environmental degradation, and resource depletion.

Q2:Wich ecosystem is affected? Describe it an detail.

Top 10 most threatened ecosystems

> Caribbean coral reefs. > Alaskan kelp forest. > Murray-Darling basin wetlands. > Sydney coastal wetlands. > South karst springs. > Coorong lagoon and Murray River estuary. > Mountain 'fynbos' on Cape Town. > Rhineland raised bogs.

Q3:Who is responsible for the damage?

> Any person who by an act or omission causes damage to another by his fault or negligence shall be liable for the damage so done.

Q4:Who and what is affected by the ecological (environmental) problem?

> Environmental pollutants can cause health problems like respiratory diseases, heart disease, and some types of cancer. People with low incomes are more likely to live in polluted areas and have unsafe drinking water. And children and pregnant women are at higher risk of health problems related to pollution.

Q5:Are there any statistics to help explain why this is an issue?

Problem 1. Extracting meaning out of little difference. Problem 2. Using small sample sizes. Problem 3. Showing meaningless percentages on graphs. Problem 4. Poor survey design. Problem 5. Scaling and axis manipulation.

Q6:Are other ecosystems affected as well?

> These connections between ecosystems also make them dependent on one another, and not simply dependent on the organisms within them. Climate change affects ecosystems in many ways. Climate controls how plants grow, how animals behave, which organisms thrive, and how they all interact with the physical environment.

Q7:Other facts you come across about the issue and the ecosystem.

>Coral reefs are beautiful and fragile. >Half the world's species live in tropical rainforests. >To live in the desert, you have to save water. >Grasslands are all around. >Freshwater ecosystems have rare species. >In the tundra, life is tough.

links: https://climatekids.nasa.gov/10-things-ecosystems/ https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-ecosystems#:~:text=These%20connections%20between%20ecosystems%20also,interact%20with%20the%20physical%20environment. https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/environmental-health#:~:text=Environmental%20pollutants%20can%20cause%20health,and%20some%20types%20of%20cancer.&text=People%20with%20low%20incomes%20are,health%20problems%20related%20to%20pollution. https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/environmental-health#:~:text=Environmental%20pollutants%20can%20cause%20health,and%20some%20types%20of%20cancer.&text=People%20with%20low%20incomes%20are,health%20problems%20related%20to%20pollution. https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1944/jul1944/gr_l-48176_1944.html#:~:text=%E2%80%94Any%20person%20who%20by%20an,for%20the%20damage%20so%20done. https://www.activesustainability.com/environment/top-threatened-ecosystems/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues#:~:text=Types,-Main%20articles%3A%20List&text=Major%20current%20environmental%20issues%20may,environmental%20degradation%2C%20and%20resource%20depletion.

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harborcation · 1 year ago

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Unveiling Nature's Wonderland: Camping in South Australia

South Australia, with its stunning landscapes, pristine coastlines, and diverse natural wonders, offers a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts and camping enthusiasts alike. From picturesque national parks to secluded beaches and breathtaking desert landscapes, this region beckons adventurers to embrace the beauty of the great outdoors. In this blog post, we will explore the wonders of camping in South Australia, highlighting some of the must-visit camping destinations and sharing tips for an unforgettable camping experience.

1. Flinders Ranges National Park:

Nestled in the heart of South Australia, the Flinders Ranges National Park is a rugged and captivating landscape, perfect for nature lovers and camping enthusiasts. The park is home to ancient mountain ranges, dramatic gorges, and an abundance of wildlife. Set up camp under a canopy of stars and wake up to breathtaking sunrises over the majestic Wilpena Pound. With a range of camping options available, from basic bush camping to powered sites, the Flinders Ranges National Park offers a true wilderness experience.

2. Kangaroo Island:

Known as Australia's Galapagos, Kangaroo Island is a haven for wildlife and natural beauty. The island boasts stunning beaches, towering cliffs, and pristine forests, making it an ideal camping destination. Set up camp near Seal Bay Conservation Park and witness the captivating sight of Australian sea lions basking on the beach. Explore Flinders Chase National Park, home to the iconic Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch. Kangaroo Island offers a unique camping experience, surrounded by nature and wildlife like no other.

3. Coorong National Park:

For a camping experience that combines coastal beauty and tranquility, Coorong National Park is a must-visit destination. Situated along the stunning Limestone Coast, the park is renowned for its shimmering lagoons, vast sand dunes, and an array of birdlife. Pitch your tent at one of the designated campgrounds and awaken to the gentle sound of waves crashing on the shore. Embark on kayaking adventures, bird-watching excursions, and peaceful beach walks, immersing yourself in the serene ambiance of Coorong's natural wonders.

4. Yorke Peninsula:

With its pristine beaches, charming coastal towns, and diverse landscapes, the Yorke Peninsula offers a camping paradise for beach lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you prefer secluded spots or well-equipped campgrounds, the peninsula caters to all camping preferences. Spend your days swimming, snorkeling, fishing, or exploring the rugged coastline. Don't miss the opportunity to visit Innes National Park, where you can hike through stunning coastal trails and discover historic shipwrecks.

5. Camping Tips for an Unforgettable Experience:

a) Plan and book in advance, especially during peak seasons, to secure your preferred camping spot. b) Familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations of camping south Australia, including any permits required. c) Pack essentials such as camping gear, cooking equipment, proper clothing, insect repellent, and plenty of water. d) Respect the environment and leave no trace. Practice responsible camping by disposing of waste properly and leaving the area as you found it. e) Embrace the serenity and disconnect from technology. Take the opportunity to relax, unwind, and connect with nature.

Camping in South Australia offers a gateway to breathtaking landscapes, awe-inspiring wildlife encounters, and unforgettable adventures. Whether you prefer rugged mountains, pristine beaches, or tranquil coastal parks, South Australia has it all. Immerse yourself in the wonders of the Flinders Ranges, explore the wildlife-rich Kangaroo Island, discover the coastal beauty of the Coorong, or embrace the beach paradise of the Yorke Peninsula. The camping opportunities in South Australia are boundless, promising an unforgettable experience for nature lovers and adventurers seeking to create lifelong memories in the heart of Australia's natural wonders.

#camping #Camping in South Australia

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