Bugam walk and processing workshop: 20-21 June 2017. Hosted by the Northern Rivers Connecting Country Alliance Aboriginal Corporation
The Bugam workshop aims to share knowledge and cultural practices about the movement, use, preparation and consumption of Bugam seeds (Castanospermum australe) between northern Qld and northern NSW.
The old people (Aboriginal) developed technologies to remove the toxicity from Bugam seeds so they could be eaten. There are many stories about the beans being roasted, sliced and leached in running water before they could be eaten. However not many people still do this today. We are keen to run a workshop to maintain this knowledge.
Bean Trees naturally occur in north Qld and north NSW, with not much in between. We are also interested to talk to people about why they only occur in these locations and not all along the tropical to subtropical rainforests of eastern Australia.
Sponsors and partners: Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre, Macquarie University, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
