Jirrbal Elder the late Aunty Betty Cashmere reflects on her time spent on Country and the current restrictions that limit her ability to access it and pass on knowledge to the next generation.
Video transcript
Aunty Betty Cashmere (Jirrbal Elder)
“If I go out in the Country I’m happy, I’m laughing and I’m enjoying it and that. But when you have restrictions where you can’t go, then it is sad because I’ve been doing that for years and then all of a sudden, it’s all stopped. I just love Koombooloomba because you can go out there winter time and hear the dingos you know, the ganibarra.
To me it’s like a connection to Country. A lot of our people name our kids after different animals. Like before we could go to the river, do our fishing but now you have to get permission off graziers or otherwise it’s private property you can’t go in.
So there’s restrictions for us when we want to go and camp or hunt for our foods you know. Unless you take our young people back out there and you sit down and talk to them and tell them they’re not interested, you know, unless you can get them back.
It would be good if we could care for Country ourselves because we know our Country. As a Jirrbal person I feel that we can’t care for our Country because there’s restriction on us. If we could look after our own Country, we would be long way…”
Sonya Takau (Jirrbal Traditional Owner)
“Far better off.”
Aunty Betty Cashmere
“better.”