View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ResearchOnline at James Cook University REPORT OF OBSERVATION YILPARA COMMUNITY AND BLUE MUD BAY FROM OCTOBER 2000-NOVEMBER 2001 AND JUNE-DECEMBER 2002 MARCUS BARBER APRIL 2004 i IMPORTANT NOTE IN RELATION TO DECEASED PERSONS ............................VIII NOTE ON ORTHOGRAPHY..............................................................................................IX SECTION 1: INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT ................................................................ 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 FORMAL QUALIFICATIONS ................................................................................................ 1 1.3 PUBLICATIONS.................................................................................................................... 1 1.4 RELEVANT EXPERIENCE.................................................................................................... 1 1.4.1 MARINE SCIENCE.............................................................................................................. 1 1.4.2 SOCIAL STUDIES ............................................................................................................... 2 1.5 DEVELOPMENT OF PHD RESEARCH.................................................................................. 2 1.6 FIELDWORK BACKGROUND............................................................................................... 5 1.7 THESIS OUTLINE ................................................................................................................ 7 1.8 THE BASIS OF THIS REPORT .............................................................................................. 8 1.9 THE SCOPE OF THIS REPORT............................................................................................. 9 SECTION 2: HUNTING AND FISHING SURVEY OF YILPARA, OCTOBER 2000- NOVEMBER 2001, JUNE 2002-DECEMBER 2002.......................................................... 10 2.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 10 2.2 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................... 11 2.2.1 PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION AND VEHICLES ................................................................. 13 2.3 RESULTS............................................................................................................................ 14 2.3.1 LOCATION OF FOOD RESOURCES.................................................................................... 15 2.3.2 ACCESS TO FOOD RESOURCES........................................................................................ 15 2.3.3 VEHICLES........................................................................................................................ 15 2.3.4 HUNTING RANGE ............................................................................................................ 16 2.3.5 SEASONAL HUNTING RANGE .......................................................................................... 16 2.3.6 ENCOUNTERS WITH INDEPENDENT HUNTERS................................................................. 17 2.3.7 HUNTING DURING 2002 FIELDWORK .............................................................................. 18 2.3.8 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN HUNTING...................................................................... 18 2.4 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................... 18 ii SECTION 3: HABITATS AND SEASONS ........................................................................ 20 3.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 20 3.2 ECOLOGICAL ZONES........................................................................................................ 20 3.3 DHIYUWINING: RESOURCE HABITATS ............................................................................ 20 3.4 WINDS ............................................................................................................................... 22 3.5 SEASONS............................................................................................................................ 22 3.6 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................... 24 SECTION 4: OBTAINING FOOD RESOURCES- HUNTING, GATHERING AND FISHING TECHNIQUES..................................................................................................... 25 4.1 HANDLINE FISHING .......................................................................................................... 25 4.1.1 BOAT FISHING................................................................................................................. 26 4.1.2 COOKING FISH ................................................................................................................ 27 4.2 CRABS AND BAIT .............................................................................................................. 28 4.3 MIYAPUNU: TURTLE AND DUGONG HUNTING ................................................................ 29 4.3.1 MIYAPUNU...................................................................................................................... 29 4.3.2 HUNTING......................................................................................................................... 30 4.3.3 DUGONG HUNTING VARIATIONS .................................................................................... 32 4.3.4 TURTLE BUTCHERY ........................................................................................................ 34 4.3.5 DUGONG BUTCHERY....................................................................................................... 37 4.4 SHARK AND STINGRAY HUNTING .................................................................................... 38 4.5 FISH SPEARING ................................................................................................................. 42 4.6 NIGHT FISHING................................................................................................................. 43 4.7 MAYPAL: OYSTERS AND OTHER SHELLFISH .................................................................. 44 4.7.1 OYSTERS ......................................................................................................................... 44 4.7.2 SHELLFISH FROM THE MANGROVES ............................................................................... 45 4.7.3 OTHER SHELLFISH .......................................................................................................... 46 4.8 FRESHWATER FISHING .................................................................................................... 47 4.9 YAMS ................................................................................................................................. 48 4.10 MAMMALS, BIRDS, AND REPTILES................................................................................ 48 4.11 FRUITS AND BERRIES ..................................................................................................... 49 4.11.1 MUNDUYUTJ ................................................................................................................. 50 4.11.2 OTHER FRUITS AND BERRIES........................................................................................ 50 4.11.3 BUSH HONEY ................................................................................................................ 51 4.12 SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... 51 iii SECTION 5: THE DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD RESOURCES ...................................... 52 5.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 52 5.1.1 FOOD DISTRIBUTION PARAMETERS................................................................................ 52 5.1.2 KINSHIP AND HOUSEHOLDS............................................................................................ 53 5.2 TURTLE AND DUGONG DISTRIBUTION ............................................................................ 54 5.2.1 HUNTING LABOUR AND INITIAL DISTRIBUTION ............................................................. 55 5.2.2 FURTHER DISTRIBUTION: SENIORITY ............................................................................. 56 5.2.3 FURTHER DISTRIBUTION: OWNERSHIP OF COUNTRY ..................................................... 58 5.2.4 FURTHER DISTRIBUTION: PROXIMITY TO THE RESOURCES............................................ 58 5.2.5 FURTHER DISTRIBUTION: SUPPLY OF TECHNOLOGY...................................................... 59 5.2.6 FURTHER DISTRIBUTION: INTERACTION OF FACTORS.................................................... 60 5.2.7 DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE HOUSEHOLD........................................................................ 61 5.2.8 SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... 61 5.3 DISTRIBUTION OF OTHER FOOD RESOURCES