What Bunuba Country protects
Muwayi is a Bunuba word meaning ‘land’, or country. Bunuba Muwayi features:
Winamu and Balili (sandstone and limestone ranges): Contain rock art, ceremonial places and species such as Rock Wallabies and Cypress Pine. Pockets of isolated vine thickets contain endemic species.
Garuwa places (springs, rivers and waterholes): Rivers flow and flood seasonally, providing billabongs and waterholes for Freshwater Crocs, Water Monitors and species such as the endangered Purple-crowned Fairy-wren.
Galanganyja — blacksoil plains: Lowlands are dominated by fertile black soils – key hunting areas for gurudunggu (wallaby), gananganyja (Emu), galamuda (bush turkey) and baniy (goanna). Right-way fire is critical for protecting.
Plants and bush medicines: Ngirridu (spinifex wax) is harvested for colds while mala wanjali (freshwater mangrove leaves) are chewed for toothache. Recording such traditional knowledge is a priority.
Garuwa (freshwater) animals: includes gayi (freshwater crocodile), waywurru (longnecked turtle), nyanyani (sawfish), jawiywiy (bull shark), ngawalhay (black mussels), wabada (water monitor) and fish such as balga (barramundi).