Tasting the delights of desert raisin
A unique report written in both in the Alyawarr Aboriginal language and English marks a new milestone in Australia's efforts to perpetuate the deep knowledge and cultural heritage of desert Aboriginal people.
Titled Angka akatyerr-akert: A Desert raisin report, it offers Australians from other backgrounds a rare chance to share the insights, wisdom and cultural traditions of our desert people, courtesy of nine members of the Alyawarr people from Ampilatwatja in central Australia, a translator and researchers of the Desert Knowledge CRC.
It tells the story of one of the most significant and increasingly valuable native fruits, the Desert raisin - also known as the bush tomato - from the perspective of the people who for countless generations have watched over, guarded, encouraged and harvested it.
"It offers us a first-hand insight into the detail and complexity of Aboriginal knowledge and practice associated with a species that forms an important part of the desert landscape and the cultures that depend on it," explains project leader Dr Fiona Walsh of DKCRC and CSIRO. "It is one of the few Australian research documents written in an Aboriginal language and English."
The report has three aims - to record some of the skill and insight of Alyawarr people, to help keep their traditional knowledge and practices alive for future generations, and as a way of thanking them for their generosity in sharing their knowledge, Fiona explains.
With colourful pictures, original Alyawarr commentary and an English translation Angka akatyerr-akert: A Desert raisin report takes the reader on a vivid journey into the past, present and future of the deserts, through a gathering expedition for one of their most reliable of food sources.
It describes how, for thousands of years, Aboriginal people burned patches of desert to promote the growth of Akatyerr (Desert raisin or bush tomato) explaining how nowadays bushfire regulations limit this, making the fruit harder to find. It describes the different creatures that depend on them (emus and bush turkeys), where the fruit can mostly be found and how to harvest, process, prepare and store them.
"It's like an iceberg," Fiona says. "Beneath a simple food story sits an enormous wealth of knowledge and experience, stretching back through time - one that illuminates our understanding of the depth of the connections between the Alyawarr and their country."
Another reason for sharing their harvest story is the growing consumer demand, both in Australia and round the world, to sample the delights of desert fare. Traditionally, Alyawarr and other desert people ate the fruits fresh or made them into seed cakes that would keep for a year or more. Today the fruit is appearing in shops and supermarkets in jams, sauces, dressings, marinades and other products.
"Our report underlines the relevance of Aboriginal knowledge and practice associated with Aboriginal plants and lands to national food security, and also the need to find new crops that suit a drying climate and growing deserts," she says.
"It also highlights the importance of improving Australia's ecosystem management of desert lands with the help of Aboriginal land management systems, which are a unique repository of knowledge about species, landscape and practices."
The report is partly for non-Aboriginal people who wish to know more about Aboriginal culture, desert food and how it is obtained, she says. It is also designed as an educational tool for Aboriginal children and non-Aboriginal children, to help keep cultural knowledge alive in Australia and achieve wider recognition of the special skills and knowledge of desert people. It includes teacher's notes with curriculum activities based upon the plant and local knowledge.
She pays tribute to Edie Holmes, Eileen Bonney, Jilly Holmes, Frank Holmes and other Alyawarr people whose wisdom and words the report contains. Also to David Moore who translated it, her co-author, Josie Douglas (CSIRO Aboriginal Research Fellow) and teacher linguist Ange Harrison.
This report is now on the web at: http://www.desertknowledgecrc.com.au/publications/downloads/DKCRC_Angka-Akatyerr-akert_A-Desert-raisin-report.pdf
More information:
Fiona Walsh, DKCRC and CSIRO, ph 08 8950 7145 or 0403 868 426
Jan Ferguson, Managing Director, DKCRC, 08 8959 6041 or 0401 719 882
Craig James, General Manager Commercialisation and Communication, DKCRC, 0408 838 194
Prof. Julian Cribb, DKCRC media, 0418 639 245
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