Indigenous Australians have long understood sustainable hunting and harvesting, seasonal changes in flora and fauna, predator–prey relationships and imbalances, and seasonal fire management. Yet the extent of their knowledge and expertise has been largely unknown and underappreciated by non-Aboriginal colonists, especially in the south-east of Australia where Aboriginal culture was severely fractured.Aboriginal Biocultural Knowledge in South-eastern Australia is the first book to examine historical records from early colonists who interacted with south-eastern Australian Aboriginal communities and documented their understanding of the environment, natural resources such as water and plant and animal foods, medicine and other aspects of their material world. This book provides a compelling case for the importance of understanding Indigenous knowledge, to inform discussions around climate change, biodiversity, resource management, health and education. It will be a valuable reference for natural resource management agencies, academics in Indigenous studies and anyone interested in Aboriginal culture and knowledge.

Aboriginal Biocultural Knowledge in South-eastern Australia: Perspectives of Early Colonists

History

Clark, Ian D.

Clarke, Philip A.

Cahir, Fred

Americas

CSIRO Publishing

Australia is home to many distinctive species of birds, and Aboriginal peoples have developed close alliances with them over the millennia of their custodianship of this country. Aboriginal Peoples and Birds in Australia: Historical and Cultural Relationships&nbsp;provides a review of the broad physical, historical and cultural relationships that Aboriginal people have had with the Australian avifauna. This book raises awareness of the alternative bodies of ornithological knowledge that reside outside of Western science. It describes the role of birds as totemic ancestors and spirit beings, and explores Aboriginal bird nomenclature, foraging techniques and the use of avian materials to make food, medicine and artefacts. Through a historical perspective, this book examines the gaps between knowledge systems of Indigenous peoples and Western science, to encourage greater collaboration and acknowledgment in the future. Features: <ul> <li>Provides a historical review of the cultural roles of birds and their importance to Aboriginal peoples in Australia.</li> <li>Explores Indigenous knowledge, to inform future research in ornithology, anthropology and ethnoscience.</li> <li>Illustrated with photos taken by the author over 40 years of fieldwork.</li> </ul> Cultural Sensitivity Readers are warned that there may be words, descriptions and terms used in this book that are culturally sensitive, and which might not normally be used in certain public or community contexts. While this information may not reflect current understanding, it is provided by the author in a historical context. This publication may also contain quotations, terms and annotations that reflect the historical attitude of the original author or that of the period in which the item was written, and may be considered inappropriate today. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this publication may contain the names and images of people who have passed away.

Aboriginal Peoples and Birds in Australia: Historical and Cultural Relationships

Australia & Oceania

This book shows what types of plants were used to make Aboriginal weapons, tools, shelter, watercraft, ceremonial objects, clothing, ornaments, and paint. The book also shows how hunter gatherers lived, and it demonstrates the differences across Aboriginal Australia. It is jointly concerned with the ethnobotany and economic botany of Aboriginal Australia, and it includes amazing photographs of the weapons, clothes, baskets, fish traps, etc. Author Philip A. Clark is a consultant on ethnobotany and anthropology. Clarke spent 30 years at the South Australian Museum, where he was Head of Anthropology and Manager of Sciences at the South Australian Museum and was the Principal Curator of the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery in Adelaide. Contents include: Plants into Artifacts * The Australian Aboriginal Toolkit * Ephemeral Subsistence Tools * Camp Life Ephemera * Working with Green Timber * Sticking Things Together * Universal Wrappers of Bark and Broad-leaves * From Fiber to Object * Plants to Decorate * Aboriginal Artifacts in Transition * The 'New' Material Culture * Plants, Artifacts, and Cultural Identity *** "This is a fascinating book for those interested in the interactions of plants and humans over time and space." Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden. *** "...highly recommend this book to anyone studying Australian ethnobotany, as well as any ethnobotanist with an interest in indigenous tool production. Those with an interest in how cultural plant use changes over time will also find this book informative." - Economic Botany, Vol. 67, 2013 *** "I could spend hours reading this account on how Aboriginal Australian hunter-gathers lived....Wonderful photographs show an impressive array of weapons, tools, shelter, watercraft, ceremonial objects, clothing, ornaments, and paint made from plants." - American Herb Association 28:4, 2013

Australian Plants as Aboriginal Tools

Politics & Social Sciences

Anthropology

Rosenberg Publishing

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