Rangers
Image credit: © David Hancock
Bi and Yolŋu Traditional Owners in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory started ranger groups in the Ramingining region, about 450km east of Darwin, in the 1970s. These combined to form the South-East Arafura Catchment Rangers associated with the Donydji, Mirrngatja and Dhupuwamirri homelands.
The Wanga Djakamirr and Balmawirrey Dhipirri Rangers looked after sea country in the Castlereagh Bay area in the north while the Gurruwiling Ranger group was later established to manage the central basin.
Each group looks after country for which they have traditional responsibility but work cooperatively to plan management activities.
ASRAC rangers are coordinated through a hub in Ramingining. Three of the ranger groups operate from satellite bases on remote homelands—Donydji, Mirrngatja and Malyanargnak—and infrastructure is planned for more satellite ranger bases to support Traditional Owners and their families to live and work on their homelands.
Healthy Country Plan
We know that the land needs its people to care for it and to keep it healthy. In the same way we know that caring for the country keeps us healthy – physically, spiritually and mentally.