News Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Using traditional medicines and crafts, a group of North East Arnhem women are making luxurious bush products to support life on country.
The Yirralka Rangers social enterprise began in 2011 as a small workshop, and has grown to employing more than 20 female rangers whose scrubs, soaps, and balms are now stocked across the country. Yirralka Rangers Bush Product program incorporates Yolngu knowledge and native flora into scrubs, soaps and balms, helping to create jobs in homelands. Picture: Supplied.
Marrarrathal Flora Gaykamangu lives in Gangan homeland, where she harvests nambarra (paperbark tree) oil – a Yolngu treatment for colds and flus. “We go out bush and harvest some nambarra, then we come back, cut it into small pieces, weigh it, then we chuck it into the machine, and boil it up,” she said. She said being able to live in homelands helped her feel more connected to culture.
“In communities you only know a little bit of history and culture, people talk about it less. But in homelands, they have a full culture in their hands. “It’s more peaceful than community too, in community people always humbug for everything, but in the bush homelands, they don’t humbug, they help each other.
“They teach children hunting and fishing, teach the youngest boys how to make spears, ceremony, songs, and women help children learn how to dance, how to make food, make soaps – everything.” Gidilpawuy Veronica Munyarryun collecting pandanus she will weave into baskets, mats and earrings. Picture: Supplied.
In Dhalinybuy homeland, Gidilpawuy Veronica Munyarryun specialises in making silks and weaving earrings, baskets and mats out of pandanus. “I dye scarfs with yellow dye, black, green – with Yolngu colours. We find the colours from roots, from the ground,” she said.
She also teaches younger generations the same skills – knowledge she learnt from her mother and grandmother. Ms Munyarryun said she felt proud to be part of an enterprise that would help her remain in Dhalinybuy – but said more support was needed for homelands. “We’re missing a lot – homes, new houses ,” she said.
Yirralka Miyalk Rangers sell their Bush Products at the Garma Festival 2024. (L-R) Dhandiya Melody Garrawurra, Maria Jaramillo, Elli Pavlou, Gidilpawuy Veronica Munyarryun, Bapalatja Trina Munyarryun, and Marrarrathal Flora Gaykamangu. Picture: Fia Walsh.
There are about 600 homelands across the NT, about 400 of which receive government funding. Funding for homelands has been a contentious issue in the NT, the federal government retreating from most of its responsibility for service delivery since 2007, and many Aboriginal organisations saying more must be done to support the outstations. Yirralka Rangers enterprise development co-ordinator Elli Pavlou said the aim of the not-for-profit was to grow more employment opportunities.
“Living on the homelands is really what makes Yolngu people happy and feel healthy, and there’s not that many jobs available , so we’re trying to grow Bush Products into something bigger that can create more employment opportunities,” she said. “At the core of all of it, the focus is on caring for country. So creating a sustainable business in this region that is caring for country is really important for future generations.
” More Coverage New generation walking in the footsteps of Yothu Yindi Fia Walsh Revealed: remote housing builds by region Harry Brill Originally published as Yirralka Rangers’ bush products supporting jobs on homelands Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories News Cops shut down Darwin triple homicide rumours NT Police have put sinister rumours to bed after a Darwin community Facebook page speculated whether a post condemning a woman’s bad parking led to a triple homicide in Darwin. Read more News NT Police search for missing 60yo man A missing 60-year-old man has not been heard from in more than a week as police launch a search for him.
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