Terrance Nargoodah, Claude Carter, Johnny Nargoodah, Nathan Dolby,
Alan (Doodie) Lawford, & Will Philippiadis
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The Kimberley Regional Fire Management Project (KRFMP) was
initiated in October 2000 and overseen by a large management
committee including the Kimberley Land Council, Pastoralist &
Graziers Association, Fire and Emergency Services Authority WA and
Department of Conservation and Land Management and representatives
of land owners and holders in the Kimberley, to name a few.
There are currently two Aboriginal fire teams, incorporating
Kurungal people (Kupartiya, Wangkatjungka, Ngumban communities) and
the Nyikina/Mangala people (Jarlmadangah and Looma communities).
The fire team promotes the use of traditional and cultural fire
practices and the teams consist of young Aboriginal people being
trained in fire management. NAILSMA met the Kurungal fire team on
the Kurungal walk. The fire team’s Claude Carter from
Bawoorrooga has been working with the fire team for one and half
years, he said.
“You see a lot of different country that a lot of people
never been to, it’s pretty good going out to those
places.”
Johnny Nargoodah from Jimbalakudunj community said the fire team
“Mainly does firebreaks, you need to clear after the wet,
which is good and when it’s still green it doesn’t burn
real wild…it won’t jump over the next boundary. Plus
it makes it green for animals, kangaroo…bring in more
grasshoppers for the turkeys. They (countrymen) know when to light
it and when to go hunting and what time for goanna hunting and what
time for turkey hunting…they don’t just go and light a
fire.”
“White people reckon them just lighting wildfire, they
lighting fire for animal…they don’t light a big patch,
I reckon just for hunting really.” Johnny said. The fire
teams have undertaken training with Fire and Emergency Services
Authority WA (FESA) and a Senior First Aid training course with St
John’s Ambulance (NT).
The fire team also completed contract burning on Bohemia Downs,
Bulka, Christmas Creek, Mornington and Mt Pierre Stations,
involving the use of both traditional and contemporary fire
management practices.
Nathan Dolby has just joined the Kurungal fire team and said they
“Do a lot of travelling, to different places that you
wouldn’t see all the time, I went up to the ranges. I might
think about taking this up as a career.”
Through the threatened species network, WWF the Nyikina/Mangala
people are gathering information on the threatened Bilby and also
feral animals.
The fire teams plan to undertake more training and create a
business plan for contract burning and feral animal and weed
control work for stations in the Kimberley.
For more information contact details and links are below.
