It’s just before dusk and a warm breeze is blowing off the Gulf of Carpentaria, carrying the voices of the Yunkaporta family in Wik Mungkan across the top of the scrub.

Bare-footed and waist-high in the grass, they collect what looks like clumps of bird’s nests.

This is not a traditional practice, but a more contemporary way to make ends meet.

The Yunkaportas, just like many other families in Aurukun, are collecting grass seeds to sell to mining giant Rio Tinto.

The scene is peaceful but freighted with symbolism; they stuff the seeds into reusable shopping bags, and most of the money they earn will be spent on groceries.

As Eloise Yunkaporta watches on with her baby daughter nestled on her hip, she says the cost of living crisis is hitting her community hard.

"A weekly shop would cos

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