Building a Mija c.1890
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Building a Mija c.1890
Building a Mija c.1890.
This early photograph was published in Among the Stoneage People in Queensland's Wilderness by Mjoberg. (1918).
Mjoberg was a Swedish scientist who spent a year in the Atherton area at that time.
Photo courtesy of the Cairns Historical Society.
AIATSIS Negative No. 2121.09; CHS No. P2257
Small mijas were built during the dry season further down the mountains, in river valleys near fish traps and along the coast.
As the the wet season arrived, identified by bio-indicators such as the call of the green cicada, the Ngadjon returned to the mountains to large semi-permanent mija ,each up to 9m long and 3m high.
Often several mija would be complexly connected together with internal passages and holding a large number of people.
During this time the Ngadjon harvested large quantities of rainforest nuts, stored them in damp climate controlled conditions and began preparation lasting up to four days to remove the toxins and make the nuts safe to eat.
For example the black bean took four days to prepare:
- first steamed
- then sliced
- then left in a basket in a flowing stream to wash out the toxins
- finally roasted and eaten as a porridge or left until risen by natural yeasts and baked bread-like in the coals of a fire