When Wurundjeri people were last freely conducting cultural burns across their country in the 1850s, historical records show Gold Rush settlers interpreted it as a threat.Nearly a century after being ejected from Coranderrk, Wurundjeri people have returned cultural burning to the landIt's part of a program giving cultural burning knowledge to a new generation of traditional owners
"The settlers didn't understand that and so they called in the police and that was sort of part of the start of the movement — it was already happening — of getting us out of the way because they thought we were attacking them."The property near Healesville, north-east of Melbourne, holds immense significance
On a crisp Tuesday morning, Uncle Dave showed a group of Indigenous land management students how a series of small, carefully controlled burns could promote the growth of native seeds and clear away introduced weeds. "I feel quite emotional being here today because we're bringing back cultural practice to a place where culture wasn't allowed," she said."Language, ceremony and everything to do with being an Aboriginal person was not allowed."
He said that was in part because trees had struggled to have their seeds naturally generate, due to the introduction of pasture grasses for cattle.
Backburn still a bAckburn?
Good to see Coranderrk in the news again. Just finished reading this ⬇️ last night, a story that needs retelling.
wise