In partnership with CSIRO, the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA), and with support from the Australian Committee of the IUCN, we answered a call from the Indigenous-majority Project Steering Group to develop a set of Best Practice Guidelines for working with Indigenous knowledge in land and sea management that would:
The Best Practice Guidelines are Indigenous-led, based on an open, transparent process established by the Project Steering Group of calling for Indigenous Peoples to submit case studies that demonstrate best practice in working with Indigenous knowledge. Indigenous leadership of the Guidelines occurred through:
Our Knowledge Our Way in caring for Country Guidelines
Our Knowledge Our Way Guidelines Summary
Launch webcast video
Launch video
The Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub addressed key research questions to come up with practical, on-ground solutions to some of the north’s most complex environmental challenges. A transdisciplinary research approach has been at the heart of the hub. Integrating key research users – policy-makers and land managers including Traditional Owners and ranger groups – into the co-design of research projects has led to rapid uptake of research outcomes into land management practices and decision-making. The hub has produced this wrap-up video outlining these impacts from the perspectives of research users.
In the Kimberley’s Fitzroy River region, Traditional Owners and scientists have been working together on a project supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) to help Indigenous land managers find better ways to use both scientific and Indigenous knowledge (IK) for making decisions for Country. Traditional Owners and scientists learned together and co-developed different ways of showing and sharing knowledge. The project was supported through collaborative research agreements with 10 different Traditional Owner Groups through their relevant organisations.
In the Kimberley’s Fitzroy River region, Traditional Owners and scientists have been working together on a project supported by the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) to help Indigenous land managers find better ways to use both scientific and Indigenous knowledge (IK) for making decisions for Country. Traditional Owners and scientists learned together and co-developed different ways of showing and sharing knowledge. The project was supported through collaborative research agreements with 10 different Traditional Owner Groups through their relevant organisations.
This recording is from the 30 July 2020 launch of “Our Knowledge, Our Way: Indigenous-led approaches to strengthening and sharing our knowledge for land and sea management.”
The guidelines were created with contributions from more than 100 Indigenous individuals and organisations. The guidelines are based on 23 case studies that illustrate the critical principle that Indigenous people must decide what is best practice when working with their knowledge.
The guidelines were supported by North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance Ltd (NAILSMA) and CSIRO, and funded by the Northern Australia Hub of the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program (NESP). To learn more, and to see the full film, please visit:
“Our Knowledge, Our Way: Indigenous-led approaches to strengthening and sharing our knowledge for land and sea management.”
The Our Knowledge, Our Way guidelines were created with contributions from more than 100 Indigenous individuals and organisations. They support a step-change in learning, by both Indigenous peoples and their partners, about best practice ways of working with Indigenous knowledge to look after land and sea Country.
The guidelines are based on 23 case studies that illustrate the critical principle that Indigenous people must decide what is best practice when working with their knowledge.
The guidelines were supported by North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance Ltd (NAILSMA) and CSIRO, and funded by the Northern Australia Hub of the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program (NESP).
To learn more, please visit the project page for Knowledge brokering for Indigenous land management.
A video from the “Knowledge brokering for Indigenous land management” project’s July workshop at Birdwood Downs. This workshop led to the Fitzroy River catchment roadshow with the 3D map.
This video explains the work of a NESP Northern Australia Hub project led by CSIRO researchers and Traditional Owners in the Fitzroy River Catchment.
A 3D model of WA’s Fitzroy River catchment is supporting managing, documenting and decision-making about country for Traditional Owners. Construction of the model involved Traditional Owner schoolchildren in Fitzroy Crossing working with Hub project leader Dr Ro Hill and researcher Nat Raisbeck-Brown (CSIRO) to build the model out of foam contour shapes. The model was finished in Perth, by smoothing the contours with gel and painting it white. The surface of the model is soft and flexible so that pins can be added to mark important places and tracks. This allows Traditional Owner groups to show one another places of cultural significance, knowing they can take the information (pins) away later to protect their cultural and intellectual rights. The white surface provides a platform onto which spatial data can be projected, bringing western science knowledge to the model. The model provides a place where Indigenous knowledge added by the Traditional Owners and western science knowledge can interact, showing where and how they overlap in the catchment.
This project was led by Dr Ro Hill from CSIRO and Ricky Archer from NAILSMA. Dr Hill and Mr Archer were supported by additional researchers from CSIRO and NAILSMA. Indigenous land managers from across northern Australia are involved in knowledge sharing activities.
Bunuba Dawangarri Aboriginal Corporation, Garawa Traditional Owners, Gooniyandi Aboriginal Corporation, Jaru Claimant Group, Kija Claimant Group, Ngarrawarnji Claimant Group, Tiya-Tiya Aboriginal Corporation, Waanyi Traditional Owners, Walalakoo Aboriginal Corporation, Warrwa Claimant Group, Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation, Yi-Martuwarra/Yanunijarra Aboriginal Corporation and Yungngora Aboriginal Corporation were collaborators in this research.
This project was completed in 2020.
Contact
Ro Hill: ro.hill@csiro.au
Ricky Archer: ricky.archer@nailsma.org.au
