Primary School Education Materials

THE KOORI WALK A Study of Useful Plants for Food and Medicine

Teacher Notes and Student Activities

This package deals with the NSW Geography K-10 curriculum objective of: Develop knowledge and understanding of interactions between people, places and environments, with particular emphasis on the ways people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, value environments. The NSW Geography curriculum outcomes of GE 1-2 and 2-2 are addressed in this package that includes activities and adaptations suitable for children K-4.

Prepared with input from Carol Ridgeway-Bissett and Vi Brown of the Maaiangal Aboriginal Heritage Centre (Inc).

CONTENTS

Page Introduction to the Koori Walk 3 Student Activities 7 Notes for Guides 13 Resources for Children, Teachers, Parents and Guides 16

ABOUT THE HUNTER REGION BOTANIC GARDENS

We offer a variety of activities at the Gar- dens, including guided tours for school groups. Our resources include specialist theme gardens, the Gundabooka Trail (illustrating Koori use of native plants), a sheltered Education Pavilion with indoor display, a Botanical Library and Herbarium, and bush walking trails that display different native vegetation communities.

The Hunter Region Botanic Gardens are managed and maintained by volunteers for the enjoyment and education of the people of the Hunter Region and visitors from other areas.

2 THE KOORI WALK

This package of activities refers to Koori as the local Aboriginal people who lived in the Hunter region of NSW. This region comprised several Aboriginal tribes. The package seeks to:  identify ways in which Aboriginal people interacted with and cared for the en- vironment  give examples of Aboriginal food and medicinal use of native plants  discuss examples of Aboriginal tool and weapon use  introduce Aboriginal story-telling and legends related to the environment

The Koori Walk makes use of several Garden’s environments to give insight into the intimate relationship the original people in this area had with their environment.

WHO WE ARE

For thousands of years, our people have lived in the area now known as the Port Ste- phens Council area. We are known as the Maalangal Niurra (Clan), of the Worimi Na- tion. Our language is Gadhang.

OUR VIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENT

We call the Earth our Mother, as she supplies everything we need to survive. That is the reason Aboriginal people look after the land. We do not take anything from the land unless we need it (e.g. for food, shelter or fire). If we cut down a tree or kill an animal, bird or reptile we always thank Mother Earth for letting us have it, trusting she will replace or renew it. This is the spiritual element of Aboriginality.

3 MEDICINE

In the past, we didn't have medical doctors but there were and still are people with spe- cial healing knowledge. All our medicine comes from the bush. The medicines we use include bark from trees, mud, animals, birds, fish and leaves. Some examples of our treatments are soft tea tree bark used as bandages, mud is used to cover open wounds to stop bleeding, goanna fat is a powerful medicine, and teas made from chosen leaves for different illnesses.

TOOLS AND WEAPONS

Coolamons are made from tree bark and from tree burls (lumps formed on the side of tree trunks). Large coolamons are used to carry babies. They are also used to carry food and water. String is made from grass trees, flax, vines and tree fibres. This is used for weaving fish traps, animal snares and for fishing lines. Fish hooks are made from shells. Grinding stones are used to make flour. Digging sticks, spears, woomeras, and waddis are all made from chosen tree branches. Other tools include axes made from stone, and scrapers made from shell or stone.

FOOD

The women gather fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts. The seeds and nuts are ground to make flour or e