Gooniyandi is the name of an Aboriginal language group from the Kimberley region in Western Australia. Gooniyandi traditional lands include country around the Fitzroy River, stretching from Margaret River to the Junction of Fitzroy River with Christmas Creek.
The Bayulu-Gooniyandi Rangers live in Bayulu, located approximately 15 kilometres out of Fitzroy Crossing. The group consists of 10 men, partially funded using Community Development and Employment Projects (CDEP) money. The country the Bayulu Gooniyandi Rangers look after is from Fitzroy Crossing to its junction with Christmas Creek. Around 300 people from two language groups, Gooniyandi and Walmajarri, live in the Bayulu community.
The group would like to become full time rangers to look after their country, and keep an eye out for unwanted changes, such as weeds, and to provide management services. The group also feel they have an obligation to protect people (both local and visitors), and hope to be able to observe and assess people’s behaviour, and where necessary modify it to care for their country.
Everybody welcome, but we need to make sure they do the right thing and don’t get hurt – Roneil Skeen, Bayulu-Gooniyandi Ranger.
The Bayulu-Gooniyandi Rangers participated in the monitoring program to demonstrate that they are capable of doing the work, and place them in a stronger position to obtain full-time funding when it becomes available.
This report provides information on a year-long trial participatory monitoring program undertaken at river country sites significant to Gooniyandi people. The research was funded through TRaCK (Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge Research Hub) and undertaken by CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences. A research agreement covering terms such as protection of religious knowledge, publication of information and payment for expertise, was negotiated with the Wagiman, the Northern Land Council and CSIRO at the commencement of the project in 2008.
