On Air Highlights

Bush medicine book from Cape York keeps indigenous language alive

24 January 2012

Listen and download: MP3

 Traditional bush remedies from the Kunjen people of Cape York’s West Coat are now recorded in a book which features photographs and healing stories.

Kunjen elder Alma Luke from Kowanyama  initiated the book ” Uw Oykangand Oy Berr” which started as two pages of notes documenting plant-derived medicines and their use.

 She hopes the book will help preserve  culture and her language, Oykangand, only spoken now by a few elders.

“Uw Oykangand Oy Berr, traditional bush medicine from the Kunjen of Kowanyama” is published by Black Ink Press in Townsville

Presenter: Isabelle Genoux

Speakers: co-authors Alma Luke and Bernadette Boscacci