Didgeridoo

Please post your comments and suggestions for this article.

Comment by mark on November 14th, 2013 at 6:11 pm

Regarding your page on the Didgeridoo, the traditional aboriginal people do not “Cut down” trees for the instrument as it goes against their belief system of equality with all living beings. If actual cutting happens it has only been done so in recent (20 or so yrs) history, or done so by those few who no longer lived in their tribal communities.

Comment by Jennifer Tanabe on November 15th, 2013 at 10:35 am

Thank you, Mark, for your feedback. The text will be revised to clarify your point that traditional aboriginal people do not cut down healthy living trees and by doing so destroy them. The situation is more complicated! Didgeridoos are made from live eucalyptus trees. The chosen tree is one in which the dead heartwood in the center has been hollowed out by termites. Once an appropriate tree is found, it is cut – either just a limb or the main trunk. However, the eucalyptus tree does not die but regenerates after being cut for this purpose. Thus, the aboriginal people do not destroy the tree. The article will be revised to include this clarification. Thank you again for taking the time to comment and make NWE a valuable information resource.

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