Floodplain Plants and Cultural Uses Field Guide
The Floodplain Plants and Cultural Uses Field Guide was recently developed by the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region and DEW's floodplain ecologists.
Did you know that if you chew lignum stems, they clean your teeth? Or that round-leaved pigface juice can be used as a treatment for skin ailments?
These are just some of the benefits provided by plants that live on the River Murray floodplains and wetlands, and the First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region (FPRMMR) have been making use of them for centuries.
Common floodplain and wetland plants are a central aspect of First Peoples culture, as they provide food and fuel, and can be used for their medicinal properties. Plants are also known to have provided the materials to make nets and woven baskets, with trees and bark being used to construct huts and shelters, canoes, tools and weapons.
The FPRMMR community, Elders and ranger team have been working with floodplain ecologists and site managers over the last couple of years to consolidate the cultural and ecological knowledge of vegetation species commonly found in the upper SA River Murray floodplains and wetlands. This has resulted in the development of the Floodplain Plant and Cultural Uses Field Guide.
The guide contains information about plant biology, animal associations and cultural uses of more than 70 plants found in the region. The cultural uses categories including food, hunting, medicinal, tools, shelter, cooking and more. The guide also features artwork (icons and symbols) created by 3 local artists from the First Peoples community.
This informative and educational tool will be used by First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee Region when undertaking Aboriginal Waterways Assessments (AWAs) to identify and assess the cultural values at a site. AWAs enable these cultural values to be considered alongside ecological values when monitoring and managing sites.
The Floodplain Plant and Cultural Uses Field Guide is also a valuable tool to teach the younger generations and educate the broader community about the cultural significance of floodplain and wetland plants, how they were used by Traditional Owners and how those practices continue today.
To find out more, visit Chowilla Floodplain.
Quote from Aunty Sheryl Giles “this field guide just cements what we already know as First Peoples that our plants are just as significant now as what they were then. It is great to work in partnership with floodplain ecologist and site managers, this is how reconciliation works”.
Photos credit: Grace Hodder, Helga Kieskamp, Ali Stokes.
