Fish motels in Moree become canvas for Dreamtime stories
Australia’s Indigenous communities hold extensive knowledge about native fish and their behaviours. OzFish is working with First Nations people to access and incorporate this knowledge into its restoration efforts, while honouring Indigenous culture.
OzFish recently worked alongside Landcare NSW and Miyay Birray Youth Group in Moree to support Indigenous culture of the Gomeroi/Kamilaroi nation.
Jay Barnett, team leader of the Moree River Repair Bus, led an educational session for young indigenous students focusing on the significance of waterway restoration and how installing fish motels creates new, intricate habitats for fish.
Local Indigenous youth then had an opportunity to share their cultural traditions by illustrating Dreamtime stories on logs that will soon be transformed into fish motels. They used a range of techniques, including burning and engraving to draw abstract patterns. These designs are symbolic, often representing elements of the natural world, intertwined with spiritual concepts and cultural knowledge.
Llyod Munro Junior, from Miyay Birray, emphasised the importance of sharing Indigenous culture and highlighted the value of collaboration with organisations like OzFish, which share a mutual goal of protecting our waterways.
“One thing we’ll never lose is our culture, it’s important for us to keep those stories alive.
“A lot of storytelling through Indigenous people is through art – that’s how they express their way and their upbringing.
“The river is important to Aboriginal people. Working with OzFish is a great way to show how our rivers are run, and fish motels is one way to help protect our fish,” said Lloyd.
Braeden Lampard, Murray Darling Basin Program Manager, believes that the initiative not only enhances fish habitat but also promotes cultural education among local youth.
“At OzFish, we have a deep respect for how Indigenous Australians have cared for the land for thousands of years; and they are brilliant artists, expressing their culture, identity, and connection to the land through art,” said Braeden.
“We thought what a wonderful way of merging art and cultural traditions with new habitat restoration. It allows OzFish to engage community and educate about modern habitat restoration, while providing opportunities for the Indigenous youth to express their stories on the new fish motels.
“It’s been an incredible learning experience that we have been honoured to be a part of and we’re thrilled with how it’s progressing,” said Braeden.
Once the art has been completed, the fish motels will be displayed in Whittaker’s lagoon, which OzFish has worked with Traditional owners to restore since 2019. The wetland, located near Moree, has played a key role in educating high school students and young indigenous locals about the environment and traditional ways of caring for Country through the Living Classroom. The program at Whittaker’s Lagoon has not only protected and enhanced Aboriginal cultural fishing but has also helped to protect threatened native fish species in the area.
Projects like this underline OzFish’s commitment to building partnerships in local communities with Traditional Owners to revive habitats and fishing locations in a sustainable way. Click here to head to the Moree Fish Motel Painting project page.
