This week, over 100 Aboriginal rangers are converging at Tilmouth Well for the Central Land Council’s (CLC) annual ranger camp. A highlight of this year’s gathering is the introduction of a bilingual animal tracking training package, bridging traditional knowledge with modern techniques. Central Land Council Hosts Annual Ranger Camp with Focus on Traditional Knowledge Integration
The CLC’s initiative, Yitaki Maninjaku Ngurungka (Reading the Country), aims to preserve tracking knowledge for future generations of rangers. The training package incorporates customized learning activities with resources available in both Warlpiri and English, ensuring accessibility and cultural relevance.
Elder Enid Gallagher, a key contributor to the project, emphasizes the effectiveness of blending old methods with new approaches. She notes the positive response from rangers during recent biodiversity surveys, highlighting the success of the innovative learning methods employed.
Over the past three years, experienced trackers, knowledge holders, educators, and language experts collaborated with CLC’s Warlpiri and North Tanami rangers to develop the project. At the upcoming ranger camp, 14 CLC ranger groups will review the resources for the first time, with plans to adapt them for other language groups across Australia’s deserts.
Jerry Jangala’s teaching approach, known as the Jangala Method, has been instrumental in the project’s development. The elder from Lajamanu encourages learners to delve deeper through thought-provoking questions, fostering a deeper understanding of traditional knowledge.
Beyond traditional skills training, the ranger camp offers a diverse range of workshops and activities. Rangers will receive instruction in operating skid steer and four-wheel drive vehicles, practice handling poisonous snakes, and undergo first aid and smartphone video training.
In recognition of the importance of ranger wellbeing, this year’s camp includes a mental health and trauma-informed program delivered by the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory. Guest speaker Cissy Gore Birch, a Jaru and Kija woman with extensive experience in land management, will share insights on carbon farming and community development.
The ranger camp serves as a vital professional development opportunity for the 15 ranger groups within the CLC’s jurisdiction, fostering skill enhancement, knowledge sharing, and networking among Indigenous land managers.
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Source: https://nit.com.au/15-04-2024/10825/clc-launches-new-animal-tracking-training-package-at-ranger-camp
