Blog: Living Water: River, Land and Sea Country and Indigenous People of the West Kimberley: Story Map Released with Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council

The Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council in partnership with UWA's Centre for Rock Art Research + Management, secured an Australian Heritage Grant from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, to map the heritage values of the river and its people. The Martuwarra (Fitzroy River) is part of the West Kimberley National Heritage listed area, meeting all 11 listing criteria. It is Western Australia’s longest listed Aboriginal Heritage Site at 733 km with a 96,000 km2 watershed. It is also a ‘Living Waters Museum’ under the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme. The region is home to thousands of rock art sites that demonstrate Aboriginal maintenance of Country from deep time until today.

The Living Waters Heritage project aims to improve Indigenous and non-Indigenous engagement and awareness of these heritage values and deliver digital resources people can use. Martuwarra contains 10 sub-bioregions and is home to 10 nations that include the Jarrakan, Nyulnyulan, Pama-Nyunga, Bunuban, and Worrorran language families who are linked by the ancient and evolving Wunan knowledge and exchange system and governed by First Law. Most people are very aware of how their actions affect their neighbours downstream – as exemplified by the common saying “water flows down”. Such actions include not taking excessive water, regularly being on Country and monitoring, advocating for Country, and renewing Wanjina ancestors by engaging with rock art.