"Nganydjin Buluwai. Rainforest bama."(I am Buluwai. Rainforest person)You’re walking through the Kuranda Heritage Markets—alive with colour, craft, and conversation. But before these stalls and walkways were built, this was—and still is—Buluwai Country. These rainforest trees, the birds in the canopy, the river nearby—they all carry the spirit of our old people.In our way, markets weren’t just about goods. They were about connection. We’d trade tools, ochre, seeds, stories, and ceremony between clans. Trade was a form of relationship. You didn’t just take—you listened, you gave, and you respected what was shared.Today, the spirit of exchange still lives here. Artists from all over show their work, but you’ll also find pieces of our culture—painted clapsticks, bush medicines, woven earrings, and carvings. Some of these come from Buluwai hands. Others from our neighbours. The land makes space for all of us, if we treat it with care.So as you walk, pause. Not just to shop, but to feel. Look around—not just with your eyes, but with respect. You’re standing on living Country. Beneath the boards of these markets, our dreaming still runs deep.Walk gently. Speak kindly. And may you carry the story of this place with you, not just something bought from it.
