Yilaag Ngura (Rejoicing Land/Country)

Grant Amount: $115,000

Region: Nowra, New South Wales

Delivered by: Waminda

Year funded: 2022

Project status: Complete

The Challenge

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were the first farmers on this land and have been living in reciprocity with Country for thousands of years. However, as a result of colonisation, First Nations communities have faced substantial systemic economic and social barriers to food sovereignty and security. Additionally, their communities and cultures are strongly connected with traditional bushfoods but unfortunately, rarely are they compensated fairly for their knowledge or benefit from the production of these foods.

The Innovation

Waminda is an Aboriginal women-led community-controlled health organisation providing culturally safe and holistic services to Aboriginal communities. Sustainable Table is funding the organisation to develop an Indigenous nursery that will grow native food and plants. This collaborative project, led by Indigenous women on the south coast of NSW, pioneers an innovative approach to social, economic and environmental change. It does this by centring Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing in regenerative and agroecological systems, reconnecting and connecting Indigenous people to their culture through traditional foods and their cultural stories, and participation in the creation and development of Indigenous-led businesses.

The project’s key objectives are:

• To become sustainable by growing the amount of native food and plants produced in this region, and on selling to markets involved in restoration, rehabilitation, and carbon farming.
• To generate ongoing income as well as job opportunities for Indigenous people and contribute to the viability of Indigenous-led businesses in our communities.
• To foster health and cultural resilience by developing unique food products from our harvests, alongside educational strategies that aim to reduce the harmful impacts of chronic diseases and poor nutrition in our communities; and reconnecting First Nations women to their original food stories.

Why did Sustainable Table fund this project?

Waminda has a strong track record and this First Nations women-led initiative has a raft of benefits for local First Nations people and the community. The project is building on the work that Waminda has already done and has the potential to be replicated across Australia.

What were the outcomes of this project?

This project has been completed and we are in the process of learning more about the outcomes.