“There was an unbelievable amount of pride. There were lots of emotions,” Mr Russell said. 

Kuueeyung is Kattung– the language spoken by the Worimi, Gringai and Birpai people –  for canoe.

Mr Russell, a Worimi man, has spent the past three years learning and experimenting with traditional bark canoe building techniques in order to “reawaken our old ways.” 

“I’m still honing the craft,” Mr Russell said. “I am 80 per cent of the way there. I still have some finer details to work out.

“I want to do it right for the old people.” 

His journey of rediscovery began with just two paragraphs from a book written in the 1800s. It’s author was William Scott. In the book Scott described the kuueeyung. 

With this information and help from the elders, Mr Russell has brought back the “sleeping” craft of canoe building.  

The building technique sees bark stripped from a stringy bark tree, known as a punna tree in Kattung language. It is then heated over a fire until it becomes malleable. The bark is then bent into shape and turned in at the ends. 

Vines and ropes are used to weave the ends together and the canoe was traditionally sealed with pipeclay. Each canoe takes about 8-10 hours to construct and can be used immediately. 

The Worimi people used the canoe for fishing and transport, Mr Russell said. 

The traditional canoe was between 15 and 20 feet long, and generally were used by two people at a time. 

Mr Russell will conduct a canoe making workshop at the Olive Tree Markets on June 2.

A smaller version of a traditional bark canoe will be built on the day. The workshop is free to attend. 

There is lots on at the June market to check out, including ceramics by Lulu and Smith, fashions by Evyie, Jewellery by Art Haus, and others. 

Music on the day will deliver the Hawaiian pedal steel sounds of The High Andies, The Dew Cats, and Emerald Ruby will perform her intricate looping music. Jye Sharpe will take it into the afternoon with his bluesy, guitar and Jess Starreveld will make her market debut.