Three First Nations tribal groups from the Mungo National Park and Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area in partnership with SharingStories Foundation, NSW Parks and Wildlife Service and students at Mildura Primary School have launched a ground-breaking new mobile app called Mungo Stories: Walk Together.
The Barkandji/Paakantyi, Mutthi Mutthi and Ngiyampaa communities worked together to create this free mobile app designed to offer visitors to the region a dynamic experience of the park’s vibrant heritage. The app features ten living stories narrated by First Nations Custodians who led the work on Country and is accessible only when on Country.
Each of the stories is discovered by the app user via story markers which have been placed throughout the National Park immersing the visitor in the knowledge and stories that live at important sites/places. Using the app’s GPS map technology, visitors find locations within the park where they scan markers to unlock videos that share stories and knowledge from the Three Tribal Groups.
For a one-minute, promotional video of the Mungo Stories: Walk Together app, visit here.
The stories are narrated by Elders and includes animations illustrated by school students and Ngiyampaa artist, Nola Taylor, bringing stories from the ancient landscape – renowned for its rich dispersion of fossils dating back some 50,000 years – to life.
The culture app is designed as an introduction to the region’s cultural heritage and complements tours run by the Mungo National Park’s Aboriginal Discovery Rangers which offer visitors the opportunity to ‘go beyond the boardwalk’ and meet community. A link to the Aboriginal Discovery Rangers tour bookings site is embedded in the app.
Barkandji/Paakantyi Traditional Owner Uncle Ivan Johnston said the three tribal groups are proud to share their history, Culture and stories with visitors to Mungo.
“The Willandra lakes is a very special place, as it tells us about how our ancestors once lived, evidence of how they survived an ice age, clues to what animals they ate and how they hunted them. Not only is this place significant for Aboriginal people but also for non-Aboriginal people to learn about human history,” said Uncle Ivan.
SharingStories Foundation CEO, Pitta Pitta woman Sharon Williams said an important part of creating the app was to share the Custodian’s living stories in the place where they belong.
“We’re honoured that the Barkandji/Paakantyi, Mutthi Mutthi and Ngiyampaa communities have trusted us with their stories and have worked alongside us to see this modern day, digital storytelling project come to life,” Ms Williams said.
“We hope to welcome a new generation of travellers – young and old – to learn the remarkable stories of Mungo.”
