Truth-telling on Yiwarra Kuju

This field season, Ngurrara mob travelled to Lumpu (Well 49) on Yiwarra Kuju (the Canning Stock Route) - heading east from Fitzroy Crossing for a stop off in Halls Creek and then south, winding back west ways, deep into jilji (sand dune) country. The rangers were there to build a shelter and install some truth-telling signage for Yiwarra Kuju travellers.

The Canning Stock Route is a long, 1,850km track running from Bililuna down to Wiluna, surveyed by Alfred Canning. The truth is that Canning would not have been able to complete the expedition without the Indigenous people he forced to act as guides. They were chained up and treated inhumanely, forced to lead the party to water, soaks and springs along the route. Installing truth telling signage along Yiwarra Kuju so that travellers know the true history of the country they're on is an important act of reconciliation.

With Wells 40-49 sitting on Ngurrara Country, Ngurrara mob care deeply about looking after Yiwarra Kuju – the travellers, the country, the history and the connection. Traditional Owners played a big part in restoring Wells 41-46 to make sure that travellers have access to clean water, and the rangers do a lot of work to look after the country Yiwarra Kuju is on. 

Planning for the shelter and signage took three years, with the Ngurrara Rangers, Steering Committee and wider Ngurrara community leading the way and yarning up good ways about what truth-telling information should be included on the signs.

Choosing a spot near a popular camping site, rangers and TOs spent a day constructing the shelter and putting the sign up. Three panels make up the sign – in the middle, travellers are welcomed to Ngurrara Country and told about some history of pujiman (pre-contact) times, language, kinship, and tjukurrpa (dreaming). To the right, visitors can read about the Ngurrara Ranger Program, Yanunijarra Aboriginal Corporation, and how to travel respectfully and safely through Ngurrara Country. Finally, the sign on the right goes into the history of the stock route, including the lesser known, darker truths of what happened.