Iga Warta – An Aboriginal Insight – Australia

By: David Savage

The moon was two nights short from becoming full. Even so, it was powerful enough to cast long black shadows of our bodies onto the sand in front of us. Four of us walked towards the highest sand dune and into the night. The sky was filled with stars, more stars than I had ever seen. We reached the top of the dune and turned around. Our campfire in the distance was now just an orange glowing bulb and beyond that lay Lake Frome. The dry salt surface of the lake illuminated white in the moonlight and the silence was so overpowering, it redefined my definition of silence.

That was my second night spent with the Adnymurtha People. An Aboriginal community living in a place called Iga Warta
in South Australia. I had first heard about Iga Warta on the East Coast
of Australia whilst traveling north to Cairns. I heard about it again
when I reached the Red Centre. The community offers Backpackers a
chance to live with them and learn about their culture.

A visit to the Iga Warta community was not on my itinerary, but my curiosity grew as I heard more and more about this project deep in the Flinders Ranges. A friend of mine, Tom, made my choice clear by saying,

"Well Sav, if you don’t go, you won’t go."

How could I not go? I hadn’t heard of any other project like this on my travels through Australia. The next morning I put my main backpack into storage at the Prairie Hotel in Parachilna and took only my sleeping bag and wash kit. Two other backpackers joined me and we jumped in a Ute with Vince and John, from the community, and began the two-hour journey to Iga Warta. The Prairie Hotel is a pick up point for Backpackers traveling on the OZ Experience.

Arriving at lunchtime we were fed and then led on a short walk into a dry gorge. Cliff, an Elder, introduced us to the land in the same way that his father introduced him, in the same way many of his ancestors had been traditionally introduced to the land. We walked for about ten minutes in silence listening to the trees, our footsteps, the birds and then we reached a site of Aboriginal rock art dated to be 35,000 years old. Cliff took us through the paintings, explaining the various meanings.

On the second day, we drove away from the Iga Warta towards Lake Frome in 4×4 vehicles. Next to the lake is Aboriginal Hunting Land. We were equipped with swags, some food and a rifle.

The Kangaroo is one of Australia’s national symbol’s, it is also one of the traditional foods of the Aborigines. I’ve never been hunting before and I’ve always been strongly opposed to blood sports, but hunting for food is different. It may not be a necessity now, but it is a tradition for these people and as always, nothing goes to waste and the kill is part of a process that feeds and looks after the land.

The Kangaroo was shot in the neck. When we reached it, it wasn’t quite dead. Terry, the project’s head man, clubbed the Roo to end it’s suffering as quickly as possible. There is a healthy respect for the animals of the land, everything is part of the same scheme, interwoven, each interdependent yet each playing it’s own part. I helped Terry skin the dead roo and the others dug a pit and filled it with firewood.

The fire raged hot and the Roo was momentarily thrown in, to singe its hair. Once the fire had burnt down, the Roo was buried in the hot coals and left for an hour and half to cook. In the meantime we set up camp beside the dried up salt lake. It was dark before the Roo was ready and we had already prepared some vegetables. It tasted good. What flavour? Well beef doesn’t taste like lamb, beef tastes like beef and Kangaroo tastes like Kangaroo.

Terry and his men sang more songs and Terry played interesting improvised guitar. It was also a chance to learn more about the culture, the family systems, the social issues today and the past. The whole Iga Warta project is the vision of Terry and Cliff’s Grandfather, who, before he died, told them they needed to share the culture with others.

There are many misconceptions regarding Aborigines today. The community at Iga Warta doesn’t run around half naked with spears. As I have seen it, the Aboriginal way is about finding harmony between their needs and the needs of the land. The community at Iga Warta upholds this outlook. They have found harmony in living within the western age of technology and social system, balanced with maintaining and practicing their ancient ways. They live in houses, they have email, cars and phones, but they see the land in a different way. They sense the life of the land, their heritage and they know their place within the Aboriginal scheme.

Within White Australia, I have heard many times about the troubles of, and troubles with Aborigine society. Drink, drugs, violence and a lack of will to conform. Show me a part of British society or any society that doesn’t have those same issues. Aborigines have been unfairly banded and labeled. The Iga Warta community has none of the above social problems and they are not unique. Let’s not forget what happened to these people when the white Europeans arrived. Despite genocide, stolen children and violent abuse, I found the attitudes of the Iga Warta people entirely refreshing. They hold no bitterness. They are intent on moving forwards, celebrating their culture and they welcome one and all.

In the three days at Iga Warta, I learnt more about the Aboriginal people than I had in the previous ten months of traveling Australia. The experience totally changed my view of the country. I now see a far more ancient and spiritual land. I see the fields and hoofed animals as alien and I’ve seen a beautiful culture, which is still there for others to learn from.