Developing a National Indigenous Environmental Research Network (NIERN)

Over a 12-month period, the project:

• engaged approximately 300 individuals through four Indigenous-focused workshops and four expert roundtables
• co-developed five case studies to inform NIERN’s establishment and business case
• sought and obtained guidance on 15 occasions from the Indigenous Leadership Group (ILG), the Indigenous-led National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

Indigenous-led methods formed the foundation of the work, ensuring mutual benefit and alignment with community aspirations. The project was grounded in four key principles:

1. benefit the Indigenous community
2. be undertaken for and with the Indigenous community, aligned with aspirations, needs and interests
3. promote Indigenous cultural values
4. be emancipatory.

Evidence was consolidated using a triangulation approach combining:

• Indigenous-focused workshops and expert roundtables
• Case studies and Semi-structured interviews
• Indigenous-led governance processes.

Diagram depicting the triangulation of data sources. Source: NIERN Summary Report.

This process resulted in four key outputs:

1. NIERN strategic direction and purpose
2. NIERN membership model
3. Environmental research impact pathways for NIERN
4. NIERN business case.

NIERN has been framed to enable and empower Indigenous Australians to participate in and benefit from environmental research occurring on land and sea Country, supported by an active national network of Indigenous organisations and researchers working together.

A strategic overview for early establishment focused on three interconnected areas:

1. Leadership: Indigenous Knowledges and perspectives determining environmental research direction and priorities
2. Accountability: culturally safe research policies and practices that protect and strengthen Indigenous rights and knowledge
3. Capacity building: increased two-way capability in right-way science and Indigenous-led environmental research.

Engagement sessions explored membership options and endorsed a pathway designed to evolve as NIERN matured. The project described:

The network: a community of practice where Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals participated in discussions, events and opportunities.

Members: legal members forming NIERN’s leadership, likely representatives from Indigenous-controlled organisations.

Partners: affiliated organisations and institutions (e.g. universities, governments, research organisations) supporting NIERN and benefiting from research.

Mandatory establishment requirements were identified for inclusion in governance documents, including:

• recognition and support of existing cultural governance models
• tiered membership and partner sponsorship structures
• accountability across network, member and partner groups
• governance arrangements to ensure independent decision-making.

The project identified four priority areas through Indigenous community elicitation through which NIERN’s research services and wrap-around support would be delivered:

1. Land and sea management
2. Climate change and adaptation
3. Culturally Significant Entities
4. Biocultural regional planning.

These priority areas reflected where Indigenous leadership, coordinated support and strategic engagement in environmental research were most needed.

The business case estimated that NIERN would require approximately $23.5 million to establish and operate for the first five years (about $4.7 million per year).