Merrepen Arts Festival - 2009

Ngan’gi language speakers know that when yerrwire (Darwin woollybutt) starts flowering, akerre (the native honey bee) will be attracted to its flowers and soon you will find yerrwire-flavoured fungguli (native honey) in tree hollows, old ant nests and in ground hives… If you know where to look!  Now, this seasonal knowledge has been immortalised in the Ngan’gi Seasons Calendar.

Eight Ngan’gi-speaking women from Nauiyu Nambiyu on the Daly River, worked with TRaCK researcher Emma Woodward to document the interconnections between weather and bush resources that tell the story of the Ngan’gi seasons. ‘It is much easier to recall information about seasonal change and indicators of change when you are in that season, so it was fortuitous that we had a reasonable time period for collecting information.’ After nine months of work the Ngan’gi seasonal calendar was produced and launched for the Merrepen Arts Festival in May.

‘Ecological knowledge contributor and Nauiyu resident Patricia Marrfurra McTaggart was keen to have this information documented before it was lost,’ Emma explained. ‘Patricia and the other contributors are really pleased with the calendar and hope it can be used to educate local children about the Ngan’gi names for the plants and animals that they eat and see around them every season.’

The Ngan’gi seasonal calendar is a vibrant and beautiful photographic display as well as an important record of Indigenous seasonal knowledge. The calendar proved popular with residents, tourists and schools at the Merrepen Arts Festival where it was launched as part of a TRaCK stall. Eleven TRaCK researchers and staff presented TRaCK’s research and community engagement program in the Daly River region over the Festival weekend in May.

Over 200 people turned out at the TRaCK stall at the Festival, where TRaCK’s research and community engagement program was promoted. People at the stall showed a wide range of interest from browsing, collecting cards and brochures, to participating in the interactive water bug displays and asking in-depth questions of TRaCK staff.

For further information on the Ngan’gi Seasons calendar contact Emma Woodward at CSIRO on 08 8944 8409 or by email Emma.Woodward@csiro.au.

For more information on community engagement in the Northern Territory contact Hannah Brodie-Hall at TRaCK on 08 8946 7429 or email Hannah.Brodie-Hall@cdu.edu.au.