Desert Knowledge
Desert Knowledge researchers at SSPR work in the unique environment of Central Australia to develop knowledge about sustainable alternative livelihoods for Indigenous desert people, including the harvesting of bush foods, and to document and interpret the cultural knowledge that enables such communities to understand their surrounding world.
There are currently three projects undertaken in this research theme area:
- Cultural Signs of Australia
- Bush Harvest: Sustainability of small-scale commercial bush harvest
- Linking bush schools and education to community based livelihoods
Cultural Signs of Central Australia
Project Team: Myfany Turpin, Alison Ross
Contact: myfturpin@netspace.net.au
Funding: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait and Aboriginal Studies (AIATSIS)
The project documents cultural signs in Central Australian Aboriginal languages. These are the social and environmental indicators used by Aboriginal people in Central Australia. For example there are signs that tell people when food is available, predict the weather, warn people of bad events and signal when certain kin are coming. Much of this knowledge is in danger of being lost as Aboriginal society is rapidly changing. Many Aboriginal people are concerned that such knowledge should be documented and that resources should be created to assist in the teaching of this knowledge.
The project has six months funding to collate existing data and document signs. Further funding will be sought to produce books and digital resources.
Duration: 1 year
Intended Outputs:
- Audio recordings in Indigenous languages about cultural signs with transcripts and translations
- Database of Central Australian Signs
- Results of this project will also be delivered at seminars and workshops.
SSPR also hosts the Central Australian Linguistics Circle (CALC) website.
Bush Harvest: Sustainability of small-scale commercial bush harvest
Research Team: Josie Douglas, Fiona Walsh (CSIRO)
Partners: Desert Knowledge CRC (Core Project 2.1), Central Land Council
This project investigates the environmental, economic, social and cultural sustainability of bush food harvesting and micro-enterprise in Central Australia. Its goal is to contribute to better income, employment and livelihoods for Aboriginal harvesters and custodians of bush foods in desert Australia. Non-Aboriginal/Western interest in bush foods is increasing. The bush food industry is growing and the market for bush food products is also expanding rapidly. In Central Australia, the commercial harvest of bush foods from natural populations has a relatively recent history, although the customary harvest of bush foods has been happening for thousands of years.
Almost all the desert raisins (akatyerre, yakajirri, kampurarpa, Solanum centrale) and acacia seeds (including, nyterrm, kalkarti) supplied to the national bush foods industry come from Central Australia. This stock is almost exclusively hand harvested by Aboriginal women using traditional knowledge and harvesting methods. A crucial link between Aboriginal harvesters and the national bush foods industry are local, desert based non-Aboriginal wholesalers. These wholesalers operate micro-enterprises that engage effectively and productively with harvesters. In 2005-06 this project looked at the roles and perspectives of bush food wholesalers in Central Australia. It also set the groundwork for strong engagement with Aboriginal harvesters for the period 2006-09: why, how and where, is bush harvest happening. Who is involved? How are plants and land managed? What do harvesters find important about the use and sale of bush products? How to improve opportunities of Aboriginal harvesters? How sustainable is bush harvest?
This project is part of the Desert Knowledge CRC’s Bush Produce research with integrated subprojects aligned to various points along the economic value chain.
Duration: 2006-09
Intended Outputs:
- Increase employment of Aboriginal people in bush produce industry research, development and enterprise
- Greater recognition of the roles and values of desert Aboriginal people in the bush foods industry
- Improve understanding of the bush produce industry
- Build Aboriginal capacity to engage with the industry
- Contribute to community development, cultural and natural resource management and industry development
- Booklets, reports, maps, brochures, and other media for diverse audiences
Linking bush schools and education to community based livelihoods
Research Team: Josie Douglas
Partners: Desert Knowledge CRC
This research aims to expand our understanding of the livelihood opportunities that Aboriginal bush schools in Central Australia provide to community members, and to identify the benefits and opportunities of these school related livelihoods and how they can be better supported. In order to achieve this, the study will look at the language and culture programs of bush schools as well as external projects that have a natural and cultural resource management (NCRM) focus that tie into bush school education programs.
The majority of bush schools in Central Australia have developed Indigenous language and culture programs. All programs have a strong focus on language and culture, particularly learning about and looking after country. Bush trips are a major part of the programs, which are taught by Aboriginal Assistant Teachers, elders and community members. The extent and effectiveness of these language and culture programs and the presence of external NCRM projects both have the potential to impact positively on local livelihood opportunities.
This research is part of Desert Knowledge CRC’s Core Project 1 - Livelihoods inland. The aim of CP1 is to understand how natural and cultural resource management can make a stronger contribution to sustainable livelihoods for desert people.
Duration: 2007
Intended Outputs:
- Improve understanding of how language and culture programs in bush schools contributes to local livelihoods
- Greater recognition of how external multi-disciplinary NCRM projects contributes to community based livelihoods
