National Museum of Australia
Aboriginal people have been caring for country for thousands of years. In this painting, Dianne Ungukalpi Golding shows a controlled burn or fire. You can see it in the background.
These fires burn old and dry grass. They are only lit when the weather is cooler and only when there is a light wind. This practice both helps prevent big wild fires and lets new grass grow, bringing wildlife to the area.
Questions
Do you know if this is still done in Australia?
In what other ways do Aboriginal people care for the land?
Other than controlled burns, what else could fires be used for?
Dianne Ungukalpi Golding
Born 1966, Purungu skin group
Dianne Ungukalpi Golding was born at Katartirn, near Warburton, and attended school in Warburton and Kalgoorlie.
As a young woman she moved to Docker River, Northern Territory, then to Warakurna, as part of the homelands movement.
Golding is an accomplished weaver of baskets and sculptures. She paints Karlaya Tjukurrpa (Emu Dreaming), Kungkarrangkalpa (Seven Sisters Dreaming) and Tjukurrpa Patirlpa Wati (Parrot Men Dreaming), and represents figures from these Dreamings in her tjanpi.
