Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung
Several landscape scale cultural assessments, growth in their land, water and fire management capacity, and water policy and strategy growth and but a few of the great recent achievements for Wurundjeri Woi wurrung
Key outcomes for 2022/3
- Werribee River and Yan Yean cultural values
assessment - Waterway and wetland health monitoring
- Land management team employment and
participation - Key note speakers at ecology conference
Summary of outcomes
The partnership between Wurundjeri and Melbourne Water has resulted in physical work on Country in 2022/3, and importantly, some significant technical work.
Documenting cultural information is an ongoing, costly and time consuming process for Wurundjeri Woi wurrung, and 2023 saw both a Yan Yean values report and a ethno historical report for the Werribee River Catchment. These are really important processes,allowing informed participants in planning and decision making.
For the Werribee, this closes a lengthy process to document the social-spatial relations of Woiwurrung people within this region, the Narrap Ranger perspectives and concludes with a discussion and suggested responses to key Government plans. This report may provide a foundational basis for understanding the historical and contextual presence of Woiwurrung people in the region and includes further engagement in relation to the Waterways of the West and Narrap–Water Program.
The Cultural Values Assessment for Yan Yean Reservoir occurred over 12 weeks in late 2022, including desktop research, field visits and workshops with Wurundjeri Elders, identifying the cultural values of the catchment. The focus was to capture place-based information relating to how Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people lived within the landscape. Tracing Aboriginal history of the area back thousands of years to present day, where the Narrap Rangers continue to carry out caring for Country responsibilities.
Narrap rangers continue to learn more about wetland systems of the Birrarung during on Country days with Melbourne University. Eels were identified as significant and of interest. Narrap rangers and ARI tagged 20 eels at Bolin Bolin resulting in a watering action for eels in the Seasonal Watering Proposal. Regular meetings take place to help define monitoring opportunities for Narrap and the environmental water program. This work has supported development of a funded ARC project for over $400k for monitoring and investigation of Birrarung billabongs.
Mark Gardiner, Narrap works coordinator, and Rephael Lankri, Water Unit Manager attended the Symposium on Urbanisation and Stream Ecology as keynote speakers. Mark and Rephael also co-presented on the Lower Yarra Billabongs monitoring project with Joe Greet at the Freshwater Science Conference. Then presented to Melbourne Water staff during NAIDOC Week.
“Wurundjeri people understand Caring for Country as a cultural and spiritual responsibility passed down in law from our Creator Spirit, Bunjil, the Wedgetail Eagle. Bunjil's first Law is to care for Country as you care for your mother, and this law is the foundation of Country management principles for Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people.
It gives me a huge sense of pride being a Narrap Ranger knowing the work we do on Country makes a difference. My spiritual connection to Country as a Wurundjeri man only gets stronger knowing that healing mother earth, in turn, makes for a brighter future for my kids and future generations to come.
As a Narrap Ranger I'm working hard with a great team of strong, deadly, Aboriginal and multicultural men and women towards these goals in Healing Country, so that future generations may one day live in a healthier ecosystem and continue the practise of caring for Country.
As a team we are focused on healing Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country. Healing Country calls on all of us to continue to strive for greater protection of our lands, our waterways, our ancestors sacred sites, and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction. Healing country also means healing our people - through healing country and finally resolving many of the outstanding injustices which impact on the lives of our people.”
Mark Gardiner, Wurundjeri man and Narrap Ranger works coordinator
