Kä bi keek Muknhiim.
- Ciɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny, luɔ̈i ciɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ Kɔc Adööc thɛɛr, yen e latuëŋ keye tïŋ yemënë keya “ci them” dhël bi macdit dɛ̈ɛ̈p teekic ku ɣäth tuëŋ piäl ee Bääi.
- Käke kɔc thɛɛr aye kɔc ke akutnhom Aboriginal yiek riɛ̈l bïk ciɛɛŋden dhuɔ̈kciëën dhɛ̈l ŋic kek yeen, ku aye yïth rɛ̈ɛ̈l thin nyuɔɔth lɔn nada ka luui.
- Kä puɔth ke luɔi ee mac thɛɛr anɔŋic gëlgël mac roor ku kä juëc kɔ̈k. Kɔc ke Gɛ̈ɛ̈th tueŋ aye dhɛ̈l ëbɛ̈n luɔ̈ɔ̈i ye käke piny kuɔɔny.
Kɔc juëc kua aa mac tiŋ ke ye kerɛ̈ɛ̈c kɔc- dɛ̈ɛ̈tic cit kënë, Ku jɔl thääny riɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ ke ci rot looi waar 2019-20 Mään cööl ku, ka ci rot piääc looi, ke ci thiɛ̈ɛ̈i piny, maac ɣɔ̈ŋ ci ye nyin juäk ruon 2024.
Ku tɛ̈ne kɔc Gɛ̈ɛ̈th Tueŋ, mac arɛɛl ke ci Yeen ee ke rilic tɛ̈ne tɛ ye mäc pïïny, aguiɛ̈ɛ̈r muuk thin, ku gëlgël kä pïïr, mɛtthin agut ci määc ɣɔ̈ŋ.
Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation chair Catherine Goonack is among those holding the baton of the fire tradition in Australia today. She learnt cultural burning directly from her ancestors. Photo: Russell Ord for WGAC
“Waa, acï lɛ̈k ɣook kuat ruɔ̈ɔ̈n ëbɛ̈n yiic ɣok aa lëu buk cuɛ̈ny ku bi ka ci puur ye cam tëëm.
“Ciɛɛŋ ee cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny mac ee dhöl ee kɔc kuan thɛɛr, dhöl ee pïïr. Keek aa mac luöi bïk baai cɔl aben pïïr, bïk dït bɛ̈i ku bïk mac ë roor cɔk kaac bi bɛ̈n thïn,” aci Catherine Goonack luel, Chairperson of the Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation.
Luɔɔi e ciɛɛŋ kënë—ee ŋic ke ye ciɛɛŋ cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny wei, puɔ̈ɔ̈r tim ee mac, wala cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny col mac—akëc looi apɛi eë thëm ee luɛɛk.
Ku lɔn nada ee yenë töŋë kä cë Australia cɔk yök ke nɔŋ mac dït ku ci yiök ke lëŋ maacdit ku lëŋ riääkdit ye looi mac ɣɔ̈ŋ.
“Kɔ̈c dit aŋicke ke rilic yen yeen yic bi Baai Cuäny thokwei ku bi rëël ke puɔ̈l,” aci Ms Goonack lueel.
Ee ruön 2024, yen aca thoor gɔ̈t aci gaat piny ye kada yeye riɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ maac cɔ̈ɔ̈k piny ɣɔ̈n baai kɔc aɣeer north Kimberley ee pan Western Australia,
Käc ci yiök aci kakke cüɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny den ke ye looi aci bɛ̈n dhuök piny.
"Ɣok aci rëël ke ciɛ̈ɛ̈thku tɛn ee ruön 10 ci jal ku bi määcɣöŋ kɔ̈ɔ̈c. Ɣok aci näŋ ka kuän dhɛ̈ɛl ku ka pɛth thin, ku yemëne ɣok aci dhuk cookic."
Käk kek ci wïc thook akutnhïïm kɔc thɛɛr lëŋ nhiim piny kaŋuän tɛden ye kek määnydit ee ɣɔŋ tëkic thin, thɛɛr ë ke cï piny ë savanna ë piny ëbɛ̈n dɔm.
Skills of assessing the right timing, and how to burn the right way, survive to this day. Fire walk by Jeremy Kowan, Uunguu Ranger and Wunambal Gaambera Traditional Owner. Photo: Mark Jones for WGAC
Na ye ke ci ciɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny yiök ke luui, yeŋo ci yeen dhuök piny bi rëël tɛriëëc eben?
Baai alɔŋ north Kimberley region ee tɛ töŋ wen bɛ̈ɛ̈i Australia wën ye ciɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny looi thin ke caath ee tok kek dhɛl ci puol bi yen aa looi, ciën tɛwaar ci kɔc lëëŋ nhïm piny yiëk yiɛ̈ɛ̈nyden Kry Kɔc lëëŋ piny.
Tom Vigilante, yen raan wɛt buɔ̈th kuɛ̈n kenë, aci luel bï kek yiëk ke ye keek kɔc leŋ nhimm baai "ee leŋ kedit ci waar".
"Ee rin wɛtde yic kɔc aleŋ yic bik piɛ̈nyden bïk piny ya mac eë dhöl wïc kek yen bik looi.
“Kë dɛ̈t lëu bï ya looi ee bïk naŋ ɣän ke pïïr ke baai ka ɣän kɔ̈k ke piny wën yenë akuut akuma aa keek leŋ nhiim cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny. Käk cit käkka yic, Kɔc Aboriginnal aye ke them ku luui ke thin dhël ye kek cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny looi ɣön ken käk yiic, Ku kek acit nhiim yïïth bïk looi kek ee rot."
Trevor Howard is National Manager for Prescribed Burning at the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC).
Yen aye tïŋ tɛ wen Akuut Aborginal määc mac bɛ̈ɛ̈i alɔŋ Kimberley ku tɛdiit lääu savanna region keye “ee ke töŋ ke pɛ̈ɛ̈thdɛt leu ku bi looi baai alɔŋ dɛt Australia”.
“Lɔn piny tɛnë kjenë aci waar apɛiditet tɛn ee ruön 20 ci jal.
“Yen aci lɔ ke juɛk ye nyin, määny dit ɣɔ̈ŋ aci ye nyin juäk, yemënë aci ŋiëëc mac ku gël apɛth ɣɔ̈n thuut yiic apɛi, mɛ̈ɛ̈c wën deep wei kaam pɛ̈h yiic ee ruön yic, ke wɛɛt Kɔc wuot Aboriginal nhim, ke looi löön wën ci kuɔ̈ny ŋiëëc lɔ ciök."
Mr Vigilante elaborates on fire management techniques in North Kimberley: “A lot of burning is done by vehicles, some walking in the bush or burning around cultural sites. We also use aircraft because we're looking after close to a million hectares.” Photo: WGAC
Ku ye keda bi baai ku gɛ̈ɛ̈th näŋ ke bik yiök thin, arɛɛl bi thaany kɔ̈u tɛden ye keek luui thin kek Kɔc leŋ nhiim baai.
“Erin pan baaai thok eben Australia ɣok aleŋ akut nhiim juëc wuot Aboriginal, ku kuat akut tok akut kääkyic aleŋ tɛ nuët kek thin keek piɛ̈nyden baai alääŋden.
"Tɛne, yen aci wïc baai ku gëën kenë bïk luui ee tok kek akutnhom käk ku bïk deetic nhiëërden ku ka wïckë, ku kuöny keek ciök bïk atuëŋ keek cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny ciɛ̈ɛ̈ŋden yeke looi dhël den looi thok, baai alääŋden."
Ye mac piäl dhuök piny kada Baai
Gareth Catt ee raan luui ke Desert Partnerships Manager at the Indigenous Desert Alliance.
Yen aci rëël ke luui kek Kɔc Gɛ̈ɛ̈th Tuëŋ ke y raan cɛ̈ɛ̈th baai baai thok alɔŋ Northern Territory, Western Australia, ku South Australia mëne ten 2012.
Tɛdittet looiden yeke looi aci looi tɛ wën bi yen maat kek ciɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny kɔc thɛɛr ku matic keek ciɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ yemënë ku bi cuɔ̈t kɔ̈u ciëën.
Yen aye gam tiäämde ee ciɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny aci looi ke luui deep maac ɣɔ̈ɔ̈ŋ tɛn ke ye yeen luɔi thin, ke rilic apɛi ci tääu tuëŋ kë wïc pïïny këne.
"Kɔc cï ɣɛn luui ke keek aye lui dhël wen ye keek reel ke mac ke ye ciɛ̈ɛ̈th tɛ luui piny rot, ku bï deetic ye tɛno bi mac jal ke lɔ thin ku yeŋo bi bääi näŋ ke looi thin."
Aye Mr Catt luel aleŋ cɔɔt yam tɛ wën pɛ̈th ee ŋiëëc kɔc thɛɛr tɛ ye keek maacc ɣɔɔŋ tekic thin, "cimëne jɔk kaam maac dit waar muoi ee 2019-2020”.
"Naye kewën tɛ̈ɛ̈k kɔc ee maac, keek aa tak rɛ̈ɛ̈ŋdit ci nyiäŋ kɔc, ku rɛ̈ɛ̈cden ci looi cäth kek yen," aci bɛn mathin.
“Kuna ye ke ci määc ŋiëëc looi apɛth piny, yen acin kedit ye raac apɛi, yen ee cɔɔt ee yam. Na ye ke ci yïn määny kenë ŋiëc muknhom apɛth ku lui kek yen tɛ wïc piny yen thin ke path, maac ee kewën ye luöi ɣɛth tuëŋ cïl rokic ku ben ciil."
Joint research by members of the Ulladulla Local Aboriginal Land Council and academics from the University of Wollongong found that cultural burns significantly improve soil quality, allowing more nutrients and microbes to thrive. Photo: Paul Jones (UOW) Credit: pauljones
Professor Anthony Dosseto aci ŋiëëcde rɔm ee yïth wën ci keek yiök ke rɛɛl ee löön kënë yic.
Yen raan töŋ wën ke tɔu wïny kenë kɔu ee thööŋ kɔu riɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ ye looi piäl tiɔ̈pic ee luɔ̈i akutnhom kene yic ee cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny ci gɔ̈t keek cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈ny ee ciɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ.
Akuen den yen ke cik looi keye ke cïk maatic kek Jama Wollongong gaat ku akut koc ee Ulladulla Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Yen acik bɛn yiök ke lëŋ dhɛ̈ɛ̈l kɔ̈k pɛth ee tiɔ̈p yic. Ku cciɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ cuɛ̈nycɛ̈ny aleŋ path yee mat thin.
"Cimene, ɣok acï yök lɔn nadɛ̈ ke thök tiɔp ee dït apɛi të nɔŋ yen cuɛnycuɛ̈ny ciɛɛŋ," Aci Prof Dosseto kuanyic.
"Ku anɔŋ kä juëc ke carbon ku nitrogen të thööŋë kek kenë ɣän cïnë akutnhom ë gël de mac tääu thïn. Carbon ku nitrogen aye kä thiekic apɛi, rin ye kek käk ë pïïr ë pinynhom.”
Professor Dosseto aci luel ke cie këde cuɛnycuɛ̈ny cï gɔ̈t kek cuɛnycuɛ̈ny ee ciɛɛŋ.
Aŋuɛ̈n, kë yenë kɔc nhïïm wɛl thïn ee bï kä ye nyuɔɔth rɔm ku kä ye tïŋ në luɔɔi cuɛ̈nycuɛ̈y ee ciɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ eë gël ee mac roor ku pial de piny— luɔɔi cï akutnhïïm ke First Nations deetic eë run juëc cï tëëk yiic millennia .
“We have this toolbox, if you like, of fire management techniques. And for a long, long time we've been ignoring tools from the First Nation community who have been looking after this country for tens of thousands of years.”
“Ɣok anɔŋ kën ë luɔi kënë, të wïc yïn, ë dhɔ̈l ë mac. Ku në thɛɛ juïc, thɛɛ juïc ke ɣok cië käŋ cë kek yök ë akutë First Nation cë kek gël ë ye mɛn eë run juïc cë lɔ.”
Gäät rot piny tëdä ka buɔɔth podcast ë Australia Explained yic ba wël juëc lek thiekiic ku wël ë lëk alɔŋ rïïk ciök piny ë pïïrdun yam yic ë Australia.
