21 May 2006
The Catfish clan take flight
Posted by Christy, forests campaigner at the GFRS
Today I asked Murray, one of the locals, about the beautiful drawing on his paddle. It's a drawing of a flying catfish. Murray's a member of the Kuni tribe's Catfish clan, the clan who invited us here, and whose land the Global Forest Rescue Station is housed on.
He went on to explain that the image of the flying catfish represents his clan as it rises to the challenge of establishing an eco-forestry business.
Murray has plans for another drawing. In the new one, the catfish will be lifted up by a pair of hands. The hands represent all the volunteers, campaigners, and foresters who have come from all over the world to help the Catfish take control of their land, protect their forest, and make life better for everyone around the lake.
The two images, one of the catfish being lifted up from outside and the other of it in independent flight, really speak to our role here. We're supporting the indiginous landowners as they build their skills and capacity; but in the end it’s their project, their time to rise up strong and independent.
The idea that these images represented Murray’s feelings about our presence really touched me. The idea of the flying catfish has really stuck in my mind. And who knows – with the project going so well and so many new clans joining in, maybe we’ll see crocodiles, pigs, and coconuts taking flight around the lake some day soon.
- Christy
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