First Aboriginal Rangers Graduate in Jabiru
Publish Date:
22nd September 2021
Members and staff of Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation are proud to announce that fourteen Djurrubu Rangers will graduate their Certificate II in Conservation and Land Management from Charles Darwin University this week. This is a first for the Djurrubu Rangers and is a part of the Mirarr vision for Jabiru as the town moves beyond mining and toward regional service provision and local employment. The graduation ceremony will take place at DjidbiDjidbi College on Wednesday 22nd September.
These qualifications are a huge achievement for the Djurrubu Rangers and staff who have all been working hard towards this outcome. Studying with four training organisations over the past 11 months, the Rangers completed all units on Mirarr Country. The diversity of the existing Djurrubu Rangers work program provided lots of practical evidence of learning and supported the final assessments in many units. Elective subjects included Indigenous land management studies, fire management, weed management, operating in remote areas and many small engine and driving qualifications.
Djurrubu Rangers is a group of Bininj and Daluk (Aboriginal men and women) working on Country to provide land management services across the Northern section of Kakadu. The group is funded by Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation and works to engage local Bininj in management of land and cultural heritage and to provide ongoing training and employment.
These first-time qualifications for Djurrubu are happening as Jabiru makes the transition from mining town to regional service centre and tourism hub. The work of Djurrubu Rangers is part of the Mirarr vision for Jabiru to become “nationally recognised for excellence and best practice in Indigenous land management knowledge and employment and supporting Bininj living on country” as well as for “research in North Australian biodiversity, ecology, education, indigenous language, cultural heritage, and archaeology and a gateway for education-based tourism.”
Within this group of graduates there are multiple family connections. Clarrie Nadjamerrek is joined by his three sons Clayton, Axel and Ralph, Anne Murrimal and her partner Martin Liddy will graduate together, Craig Djandjomerr and his nephew Jack Namarnyilk as well as two brothers Amroh and Jayduk Djandjomerr will all accept their certificates.
Senior Ranger Clarrie Nadjamerrek said “I am proud of all of us, I’m proud of my sons, we’re all feeling good now that we’ve done this training. Djurrubu is going really well now, we’re all working hard on Country and we feel good that we’ve done the training”