A distillery at Margaret River in Western Australia has been accused of being culturally insensitive for using the "essence" of a tree sacred to Noongar people to make gin.
SouWester Spirits has been criticised by members of the Indigenous community after a batch of its gin was infused with Nuytsia floribunda, commonly known as the Australian Christmas tree or moojar tree.
The tree has cultural significance for Noongar people, who believe their ancestors' spirits live within its branches.
The distillery acknowledged it was a sacred tree to the Noongar people and insisted it had treated the tree with respect.
"It has come to our attention that the use of the Nuytsia floribunda flower … has upset some people on social media platforms," the company said.
'Culturally inappropriate'
Wadandi-Bibbulman elder Sandra Hill said she was upset by the commercialisation of a product derived from a sacred tree.
"I think it's absolutely culturally inappropriate and absolutely rude to not consult with the elders and custodians about the use of this tree, which is our most revered tree," she said.
"We don't know who they have been consulting with … it's certainly not us."
Menang man Larry Blight said the sacred nature of the tree was well known.
"If they'd have spoken to any Noongar elder they would have told them them to leave that tree alone," he said.
Anthropologist John Stanton has written to the company to express his concern.
"I am advising you that you have encroached detrimentally on an element of Noongar culture that you should have been aware of through your own processes of due diligence," he wrote.
Dr Stanton said he was yet to receive a response.
Were the Noongar people consulted?
A spokeswoman for SouWester Spirits said no living tree was touched during the creation of the gin.
"We acknowledge and respect the land upon which our ingredients come from," she said.
The spokeswoman said the essence had been derived from a dying blossom lying on the ground.
"With utmost respect and care we washed the dried blossom and [macerated it] in water to rehydrate the flower and bring it back to life," she said.
The spokeswoman said the company had sought legal advice and consulted with environmental authorities, but did not answer direct questions as to whether Noongar people had been consulted.
She said the essence was used in a very small batch of gin and that the company was unable to replicate the conditions, making it the only batch created.
