Burning Country is one of the most important traditional practices in Aboriginal culture, and walking on Country always goes with sacred stories of Creation.
Burning allowed people to live in, walk through and eat from one of the harshest land on Earth: the Australian desert. “Animals and plants tell us when, how, where to burn, we have to be able to listen to their clues” old men teach us.
A project led by NT Central Land Council, this short films is told by some of the last living tribal knowledge custodians from Kintore, Pintupi Luritja tribes, with passionate officers from CLC, who support traditional tribes to manage land in a time when diseases and land contamination prevent them from living a fully traditional life.
Dedicated to the memory of Aboriginal elder Morris Gibson, who left his body not long after this video was completed.
To me, Morris has been the living example of who the Aboriginals used to be and what they have had to go through during the past decades. Respected tribal custodian of traditional knowledge and practices, at the time of filming Morris needed full support as he had lost part of his legs due to diabetes.
More on Aboriginal Australia HERE