The cultural significance of inland waterways to Australian Aborigines was recognised when detailed maps of Aboriginal land and water activities across the Northern Murray-Darling Basin was handed over to Aboriginal leaders.
The hand over of the maps took place at what some say are the oldest surviving man-made structures in the world - the fish traps on the Darling River at Brewarrina, that some archaeologist say could be up to 40,000 years old.
Federal Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources David Littleproud said the Northern Murray–Darling Basin and also the Lake Eyre Basin maps would be valuable resources.
“The maps clearly show important cultural features on the land and in our waterways and the first peoples in those areas,” Mr Littleproud said.
“The Northern Murray–Darling Basin maps show more than 26,000 features across the Barwon, Narran, Culgoa and Balonne rivers, from Brewarrina in northern New South Wales to St George in Queensland.
“They mark out Aboriginal land and water cultural activities across the region and were handed to traditional owners today in Brewarrina. These maps will help the broader community meaningfully engage with the land’s traditional owners. I hope these maps will inspire people to learn about Aboriginal culture.”
The maps will be the property of Aboriginal groups and it will be up to them to release them, the MDBA said.
The maps took two years to complete.
MDBA head of Partnerships Carl Binning said the maps would be a valuable asset for traditional owners and could help improve understanding of Indigenous cultural values and water requirements.
"The maps detail traditional knowledge handed down through generations of the Euahlayi Nation (You-alley-eye) and other traditional owners, and record their locations for hunting, fishing, ceremonies, harvesting plants and herbs, as well as burial mounds, campsites and sacred areas of deep spiritual significance," Mr Binning said.
The MDBA said Canadian experts in First Nations mapping with support from the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations and the MDBA compiled the maps.
"These maps show the strong, ongoing connection that Aboriginal people have with Country and its water," Mr Binning said.
"The MDBA is proud to have supported the project because it recognises the critical role that Aboriginal people play in the management of water resources in the Murray–Darling Basin.
"The MDBA is committed to working with traditional owners to understand and recognise Aboriginal cultural values for water."
As part of the commitment, the MDBA provides support and funding for two dedicated Indigenous representative bodies—the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations and the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations.
The new Australian maps were handed to Euahlayi traditional owners at a ceremony in Brewarrina, in front of Aboriginal leaders including Fred Hooper, Chair of Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations which represents 22 Aboriginal Nations.
"The information in these maps is invaluable to Aboriginal communities and shows the historical and current use of rivers and waterways," Mr Hooper said.
"More importantly, the maps show how Aboriginal people have deep and enduring connection to Country."
The cultural mapping project follows the National Cultural Flows Research Committee's release of research into cultural flows in June.
The Murray–Darling Basin Authority contracted the mapping services of Canadian consultants Tobias and Associates, who first developed the system to detail First Nations connections with land and water across Canada.
The Murray–Darling Basin is home to more than 40 Aboriginal nations and more than 65,000 years of continuous culture and history.
John Ellicott
journalist and author
journalist and author
