Gambil Yalgay - The Cloudy Track

Gambil Yalgay is centred in the traditional country of the Jirrbal and Ma:mu people. These traditional owners had an extensive system of walking tracks and movement linking a vast network of settlements and ceremonial grounds in yabulmbara (coastal plains) and gambilbara (rocky country of the tablelands) country. These tracks were made in the Jujaba time, establishing the laws of every aspect of Jirrbal society, including the correct path to walk through country respecting sacred places. Despite the vastness of the traditional lands Jirrbal and Ma:mu observed strict rules for seasonal and ceremonial movement throughout country taking different routes depending on their destination and purpose of travel. Some of these tracks coincide with main ridgelines of the ranges which were later exploited by the forestry industry.

The lush rainforest canopy was cleared in specific locations for occupation by large extended families who lived in midja (dome shaped houses) and yabun (large dome shaped houses) who slept on grass and leaf matresses to form a comfortable bed. These sophisticated architectural structures responded to the changing climatic conditions. They were adapted according to seasonal requirements using internal fires as an insect repellant, heating and cooking. These constructions were weather proof to the torrential downpour of the wet season, by the use of multi-layered vegetation covers and the incorporation of external drainage channels. Other larger circular clearings of rainforest close to main architectural encampments were also cleared for large brun gatherings between a number of close neighbouring tribes: Ma:mu, Girramay, Ndjadjan, Jirru, Gulnay.

Jirrbal people

Jirrbal people as well their neighbouring tribes prospered in the rich resources provided from hunting, gathering and fishing. They gathered a large variety of nuts, seeds, fruits, roots, stems, tubers and leaves which were either eaten raw or processed and cooked in a variety of ways. Jirrbal people ingeniously processed highly toxic plants and food sources using sophisticated methods which detoxified them for regular consumption.

Seasonal supplies of scrub hens and scrub turkey eggs were eaten. Hunting food sources included fish and eels, snakes (specifically carpet snakes and pythons), wallaby, goannas, possums, flying fox and birds particularly cassowaries and scrub turkeys. These were hunted in a variety of ways with fishing lines and hooks, fish traps, nets, nooses, hunting spears and a more specialised method of utilising toxic leaves placed in a dilly bag to stupefy fish. Using ground ovens to cook fish and eels wrapped in ginger leaves or alternately smoking racks resulted in delicately smoked and roasted meals which sometimes were followed by the plain tasting processed black bean carbohydrate dipped in cooking juices.

Jirrbal people intelligently manipulated and crafted an extensive array of implements, possessions and decorations including stone axes, large wooden shields and swords, spears, cooking utensils, baskets of various shapes and sizes that were deployed for numerous purposes, woven blankets, nets, lawyer cane traps, fishing lines and hooks, decorative feathers, bark bags and children's toys. The Jirrbal intimate knowledge of traditional country combined with close kin affiliations with neighbouring tribes assisted surviving members and neighbouring groups to partly resist and escape the devastation of their pre-contact population and lands from the encroachment of non-indigenous occupation.

Ma:mu people

There are five Ma:mu-speaking clans, and the Misty Mountains pass through Mandubara and Dulgubara clan lands.

Ma:mu people have a close spiritual relationship with their country, and for them the densely forested landscape is not a wilderness. Every part was known, named, and part of the Story of the ancestor beings. The spiritual values can not be separated from the physical world. In return for proper behaviour (which included practical measures such as replanting yam tops, as well as ceremonies to ensure continuation of valuable species), the country would support its people.

The early years of European settlement had a devastating impact on Ma:mu people. Many were killed, others died of starvation or disease, and most of the survivors were taken to missions or government settlements. Part of their traditional knowledge was lost, but much was kept. Ma:mu people today still mostly live in their ancestral lands, and are committed to fulfilling their traditional obligations to 'care for country'.

These tropical rainforests are rich in resources for those who know how to find and use them. Food plants are abundant, and there are many small mammals, reptiles and birds (and eggs), as well as fish and eels in the rivers. Many plants also provided materials for bags, baskets, traps, rainproof housing, various implements such as spears and digging sticks, as well as personal ornamentation. Ma:mu people obtained from these forests all the things that people need to live in comfort.

Tasting fruit and vegetables in the rainforest is not recommended. Many of the plants are extremely toxic, as some European explorers found the hard way. However, rainforest Aboriginal people, including Ma:mu, knew how to process toxic nuts and roots to make them safe to eat. Many of these plants produce abundant crops, and formed a major part of the diet.

Getting around in the rainforests was made easier by a dense network of walking tracks between camps and frequently used areas. These tracks were often used by early European explorers and settlers, and many modern roads follow these long established routes, as does part of the Misty Mountains Trail. In these rugged areas between the coast and the Atherton Tablelands, the Aboriginal tracks followed the best routes. Europeans who followed their paths were less likely to get lost or delayed than those who steered by compass.

Information presented here was prepared by Carroll Go-Sam (6th March 2003) and Nicky Horsfall (20th May 2003)