The hand shears that Tegan discovered in a cave
T
EGAN Jenkins, a 14-year-old student from
Newcastle, had studied all she could fi nd
about the Burke and Wills expedition, then found
herself fascinated by the task of delving into
the ancient history of the Mithaka People.
The Elders taught her what to look for, and
embued her with responsibility she didn’t expect.
At one stage, she and fellow junior Cameleer
Michael Koulakis, 17, were given command of
the group to oversee the next day’s search.
They responded brilliantly, using skills
from within the “tribe” to ensure the group
achieved its objective for the day.
She described the deployment as a “life-
altering experience”, and was very appreciative
of the enthusiasm of the Mithaka Elders
to share their culture and history.
This is some of what she wrote about her experience:
During the entire course of this expedition, I
did not stop learning - whether it was from
the intense discussions around the campfi re
about history - from Aboriginal and European
perspectives - or the constant familiarisation
with various artefacts, and their signifi cance.
The artefacts, and sites found on this expedition, are
signifi cant to the Mithaka people, and allows them to
learn more, and teach others more, about their past.
The MAC is an organisation that thrives
on educating people about their land, their
history, their people, and their culture.
The Mithaka are so culturally inclusive, they pass
on their knowledge to anybody prepared to listen.
Together, we were looking for any sign of
occupation, and together, we found plenty.
Grinding stones were among the most common
fi nds, one site being absolutely littered with these
important pieces of ancient Aboriginal history.
We also came across many Aboriginal scar trees.
The material removed would have been used for
things such as shields, and coolamons, used to
carry seeds, nuts, berries, water, even babies.
We also found many stone tools, wooden
spears, campfi res, sacred and ceremonial
sites and located many possible graves.
The concentration of so many artefacts in small areas
indicated those locations were not only inhabited,
but in time, became thriving communities that
managed to survive during a long period of time.
Tegan said she was impressed by the Mithaka Elders’
passion for their history so deeply linked to their land.
Tegan is the youngest person to have been
a Cameleer on one of the groups quarterly
deployments to Mithaka country.
- TEGAN JENKINS
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