Respect

At Battours (Backpacker Adventure Tours) we wear with pride our tick of endorsement for Aboriginal Tourism Australia’s ROC Program. (Respecting Our Culture). We are enormously proud of the relationships we have built with various Aboriginal Communities and people over the years. It gives us great satisfaction to see our passengers perception changed and for them to come away with positive Aboriginal experience that has changed their life for the better.

Aboriginal Culture is the oldest continuous culture in the world. The Aboriginal people have had a special, spiritual and cultural oneness with the land and waters of Australia for at least the last 60 000 years. The Aboriginal people have a responsibility to the land to ensure its spiritual, cultural and economic survival. It is all of Australia’s responsibility to ensure the continuity of this amazing culture.

Australian Aboriginal groups had their own sovereignty, languages, customs, communications and trade systems. Indeed many of these aspects of Aboriginal life continue to exist and thrive within Australia today.

Systems of communications between Aboriginal language groups included message sticks, smoke signals, territory markings and messengers.

We are fortunate enough to experience the Adnyamathanha culture and magnificent bushland that is Iga Warta. Iga Warta Aboriginal Community is set amongst mountains in the Northern Flinders Ranges, it has a beauty all of it's own. The Coulthard family welcome us into their land and share their special culture with us.

The route we travel follows sections of The Overland Telegraph line through many different Aboriginal tribal lands. (Refer to Aboriginal Australia Map). The Overland Telegraph traversed the continent from south to north, through the arid centre of Australia. It was populated by Aboriginal groups who communicated with each other and connected the lands through ceremonies, dreaming stories and trade routes. Aboriginal groups have been traveling the Overland Telegraph route since long before the telegraph was invented. The Overland Telegraph was constructed along one of the most important ochre trade routes in Australia. Aboriginal groups from most parts of Australia have been trading high-grade red ochre from the north of South Australia’s Flinders and Gammon Ranges to the farthest reaches of the country for many thousands of years. The ochre is still used today for traditional ceremonies.

There are over 350 different Aboriginal languages and many more dialects within Australia. Throughout our travel we pass many sacred and spiritually significant sites and areas through these Aboriginal nations. Many areas the Aboriginal people still practice traditional law and the land has to be cared for in accordance with this. The traditional owners of these lands ask us to please respect their wishes and pay the sites the respect they deserve. At Uluru ( Ayers Rock ), in the Central deserts, the traditional owners the A nangu ask visitors to please respect Tjurkapa (Traditional Law) and not climb Uluru ( Ayers Rock ). This is for the visitors own safety and respect for A nangu culture. There have been over 35 deaths from climbing Uluru ( Ayers Rock ). The A nangu feel a deep sorrow and pain and sense of responsibility to ensure visitor safety. If someone is hurt or dies they all feel a deep pain and sorrow. A nangu ask visitors to admire Uluru ( Ayers Rock ) from the ground. Allot more to see. “If you worry about Aboriginal Law, then leave it, don’t climb it. The chain is still there if you want to climb it. You should think about Tjurkapa and stay on the ground. Please don’t climb” Barbara Tjikatu, A nangu Traditional Owner.

“Listen! If you get hurt or die, your mother, father and family will really cry and we will be really sad too. So think about that and stay on the ground.” Barbara Tjikatu, A nangu Traditional Owner.

At Battours we are committed to move forward side by side with Aboriginal people and people all over the world. Let’s educate, learn, listen, watch, grow and become better people for sharing and celebrating each others culture.