Comments on: Listening to the West Kimberley People

By: 150cc motor scooter

150cc motor scooter — Sun, 02 May 2010 10:52:01 +0000

Great post,I anticipate some more post from you.

By: Chloe

Chloe — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:47:54 +0000

Hi Scott,

Being somewhere that has a lot of teams and visitors come though – it is nice to hear of you simply going to listen and learn. I find over here visitors are quite occupied with trying to help out that they end up not having enough time to ask our local staff questions so they can listen and learn. And in my humble opinion, those that do ask questions, listen and learn are the ones that end up helping in our areas of most need and also are a great encouragement to our staff who put in the hard yards with the girls. We have just had a group that did really do a good job of this which is why its fresh in my mind.
I bet you had a good time!
Love Chloe

By: Vawz

Vawz — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:14:12 +0000

Thanks guys, yes, what a great spot and what a great job on weeks like those hey!

By: Greg Illingworth

Greg Illingworth — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:10:23 +0000

Well done Scott, sounds like you learned heaps. We travelled to this area last year and loved the area and the people we met. God Bless you as you continue to unpack what you saw and heard while away.

Greg Illingworth

By: Neale

Neale — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:04:25 +0000

Hey mate, what great experiences to have had! Getting to know these wonderful people must have been such a great privilege! I so would have loved to have been with you on this trip. I love the idea of a listening journey.

Cheers Neale

By: Hamo

Hamo — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:10:36 +0000

Beautiful mate! One of my favourite parts of the world for many many reasons.

Hamo

By: Lance

Lance — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:39:28 +0000

Hey Mate,

Great read it sounds like you guys had a great time. I can see why you would love your job so much in weeks like these.

Peace, lance

By: Vawz

Vawz — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:29:32 +0000

Brian – good point – it is a bit misleading in that statement, thanks.
Everywhere I went the aboriginals used traditional weapons to hunt and gather. They caught all of the animals you mentioned and more with ‘old school’ weapons, this impressed me greatly. Not sure how they killed the cows that white man has brought in that have pushed much of their native tucker away from their original water sources, but I don’t care if they use a gun for them

By: Brian Hills

Brian Hills — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:12:35 +0000

Scott, You wrote “Before the arrival of Europeans, the natural environment on the Dampier Peninsula provided plenty of bush tucker for the indigenous people.”

Your next sentence reads “Creeks, tidal areas and the ocean are full of fish, dugong, mud crab and oysters and the vine thickets provide fruits and berries to make a varied and nourishing local diet.”

Judging by your second sentence, it would appear that the arrival of the Europeans has not had a significant bearing on the food supply available to the indigenous people of the Dampier Peninsula, free, from natural sources? My understanding is that dugongs and turtles are under protection from non-Aboriginal people. That is fine, provided the indigenous people hunt using only the methods and weapons they had before the arrival of western civilization. Sadly, that does not appear to be the practice.

By: guysalvidge

guysalvidge — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:38:05 +0000

Glad you liked my review of Shadowlines. It was a very interesting read – both my wife and I read it within a day or two.