OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAYOUR WAY in caring for Country OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAYOUR WAY in caring for Country Indigenous-led approaches to strengthening and sharing our knowledge for land and sea management Best Practice Guidelines from Australian Experiences Edited by Emma Woodward, Rosemary Hill, Pia Harkness and Ricky Archer National Environmental Science Programme Copyright © and holders of copyright releases: NAILSMA, CSIRO 2020 This report is based on information shared by many Indigenous people through case studies provided with consent of the relevant Traditional Owners. Copyright: Traditional Owners keep ownership of and copyright over their shared information. The information in the case studies has been checked by the people who provided it, who have given their consent for the report to be publicly released under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Licence 4.0 Australia. This means people can share the information provided they do not use it commercially, and they acknowledge the source. If they mix, transform or change the material, it cannot be shared with others. Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Notice: The information shared by Traditional Owners may include Indigenous knowledge which cannot be protected by copyright and hence a Creative Commons licence. [Regardless], we as Indigenous knowledge holders assert our ownership (which may be collective ownership), authority and control over our Indigenous cultural and intellectual property (ICIP) expressed in words or captured in images [photos], or shown through a form of visual representation in this document. Our ICIP includes language and names; cultural practices, governance, values and responsibilities; knowledge about plants, animals, and land and sea; stories and their meaning; and reference to culturally important sites. We assert our rights to our ICIP and ask that you acknowledge and properly attribute who and where it came from, that you respect it, that you maintain its integrity and not use it out of context, that you treat it in the right way, and that you contact us to learn more and to create mutually beneficial opportunities and partnerships for the future. Our Knowledge Our Way in caring for Country is licensed by the CSIRO and NAILSMA for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Licence 4.0 Australia. For licence conditions see: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This report should be cited as: Woodward, E., Hill, R., Harkness, P. and R. Archer (Eds. ) 2020 Our Knowledge Our Way in caring for Country: Indigenous-led approaches to strengthening and sharing our knowledge for land and sea management. Best Practice Guidelines from Australian E xperiences. NAILSMA and CSIRO, Cairns, Australia . Front cover artwork: Sharing the knowledge for caring for our Land. Copyright Emma Burchill, 2020 This report is available for download from the CSIRO website: www.csiro.au/ourknowledgeourway The Hub is supported through funding from the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program. The NESP NAER Hub is hosted by Charles Darwin University. ISBNs Online: 978-1-4863-1408-9 Print: 978-1-4863-1407-2 July, 2020 WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this publication contains many images and names of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who may have passed away since this publication was compiled. OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY in caring for Country Indigenous-led approaches to strengthening and sharing our knowledge for land and sea management Best Practice Guidelines from Australian Experiences Edited by Emma Woodward, Rosemary Hill, Pia Harkness and Ricky Archer National Environmental Science Programme iv v vi vii viii ix x xi xii xiii xiv xv xvi xvii xviii xix ExECUTivE SUmmARY Our purpose in producing these Best Practice Guidelines from Australian Experiences is to support learning, by both ourselves and our partners, about good ways of using our Indigenous knowledge to look after our land and sea Country. Our Indigenous knowledge connects us to our Country and our cultures. Our knowledge is owned by us as Traditional Owners and is diverse across Australia. The vision for Our Knowledge Our Way in caring for Country, established by the Indigenous-majority Project Steering Group, is: j Indigenous people are empowered to look after Country our way j Improved environmental conditions and multiple social, cultural and economic benefits come from effective Indigenous adaptive management of Country. The Guidelines are Indigenous-led and co-developed, respecting the principle that: Indigenous people must decide what is best practice in working with our knowledge Indigenous leadership of the Guidelines is through: j Indigenous-led Project Steering Group j Indigenous-led case studies j Indigenous lead co-authors for each chapter j Indigenous review, consultation and input j Face-to-face discussions about the Guidelines at meetings and workshops. xx ExECUTivE SUmmARY xxi xxii xxiii Authors: Anne Poelina, Torres Webb, Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation, Aunty Shaa Smith, Neeyan Smith, Sarah Wright, Paul Hodge, Lara Daley, Kimberley Land Council and Bardi Jawi Niimidiman Aboriginal Corporation, Emma Woodward, Peter Yates and Rosemary Hill. 1.1 OUR VISION AND PURPOSE FOR OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY 2 1.2 INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS 4 1.3 INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE GOVERNANCE AND PROTOCOLS 6 1.4 INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, CULTURES AND COUNTRY 7 1.5 COLONISATION AND INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE 10 1.6 THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM COUNTRY 19 1.7 LESSONS TOWARDS BEST PRACTICE FROM THIS CHAPTER 20 1 FOUNDATiONS OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY 2 Our purpose in producing these Guidelines is to support learning, by both ourselves and our partners, about good ways of using our Indigenous knowledge to look after our land and sea Country. These Guidelines give Australian Indigenous Peoples a voice about what is best practice in working with our knowledge in caring for Country, which is alive and deeply connected to us2. Country in Aboriginal English is not only a common noun but also a proper noun. People talk about country in the same way that they would talk about a person: they speak to country, sing to country, visit country, worry about country, feel sorry for country, and long for country. People say that country knows, hears, smells, takes notice, takes care, is sorry or happy. Country is not generalised or undifferentiated … country is a living entity with a yesterday, today and tomorrow, with a consciousness, and a will toward life. Because of this richness, country is home, and peace; nourishment for body, mind, and spirit; heart’s ease. Debra Bird Rose2 (p.7) Key Articles in the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoplesf (UNDRIP) provide the basis for our approach that Indigenous people must decide what is best practice in working with our knowledge (Box 1-1)g. f https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf g Similar principles recognising Indigenous Peoples’ rights are found in other international law and policy, for example in the Operational Guidelines to the World Heritage Convention (https://whc.unesco.org/en/guidelines/), and the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=17716&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html). 1 FOUNDATiONS OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY 4 5 6 1.4 INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, CULTURES AND COUNTRY Indigenous knowledge comes from Country, from our ancestors and ancestral beings present in Country today. Our use of the term Country can challenge non- Indigenous people’s understanding of the word. When we talk of Country, we are referring to all of those places that Traditional Owners speak for, the landscapes and the particular named sites and significant places within those landscapes15,16. A person’s Country might include land and sea. It might include freshwater places and/or the intertidal zone. It includes the cosmos, and the winds and clouds. We are connected to our Country in many and diverse ways2,15,17. Our kinship relationships connect us as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples within a network of other people, plants, animals and features in the landscape18. These relationships are formed through Country19. Connection is maintained through our knowledge and through our actions to care for our Country. Our physical presence on Country reproduces our knowledge, including of seasonal and long term changes19. We renew our relationships with Country through gathering, preparing, sharing and eating food from Country. We collect, prepare and use plants as medicines and for the creation of arts and crafts. We observe and talk with Country. We look after our sacred sites and dance, sing and hold ceremonies about the life-giving nature of Country20,21. Caring for Country keeps our cultural life, identity, autonomy and health strong9,22-24. Kinship, language and culture come together in our land and sea management activities and shape our health and well-being22,23,25. We rely on our power to look after Country – if we fail in our obligations to keep our Country healthy, we believe that the health of the Traditional Owners will also fail26. Our cultures are rich and diverse across our language and clan groups. We sometimes use the English words law and lore as a way to talk about our cultures. Culture in the Indigenous sense has legal, political and moral force. Many 1 FOUNDATiONS OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY 8 9 1.5 COLONISATION AND INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE This colonial aftermath has powerfully shaped our experiences as Indigenous Australians from the late 1700s to the present day. Our social, political, economic and spiritual well-being continues to be systematically eroded39. This has a far-reaching impact on Indigenous culture and knowledge. Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait ancestors showed resistance, bravery and, above all, extraordinary resilience in the face of colonisation8. We have kept our knowledge alive and strong throughout the time since colonisation, and now are finding safe ways to share it. For example, we have kept our knowledge of the powerful connections and responsibility of Darkinjung, Darug, Gundungurra, Dharawal, Wanaruah and Wiradjuri people for our Country in the mountains around Sydney, despite ongoing destruction of our sites and our societies. Our adaptive cultures, continuing practices and connections to the ancient art, historic events, songs and stories of what is now known as the Greater Blue Mountains are gaining recognition as part of the outstanding values of this World Heritage Area40. Now is the time for recognition, reconciliation and starting the journey towards healing. Towards this goal, the Dr Charles Perkins AO Annual Memorial Oration was established in acknowledgement of his tireless dedication to human rights and social justice for Indigenous Australians. Each year, a spokesperson within the field of Indigenous and non-Indigenous race relations is invited to give the oration. 1.5.2 Healing impacts of colonisation with Indigenous knowledge Our response across Australia to transition away from colonisation is to begin the healing of Country together with the healing of our Peoples. This is not to gloss over or trivialise the devastation that our people endure from the disasters inflicted by colonisation – but to show that we continue, and our pathway continues, for the future of our Indigenous societies41. As Dja Dja Wurrung woman, Rebecca Phillips explains42 (p.1): Dhelkunya Djandaki, Dhelkunya Murrup, Dhelkunya Djaara Ngulumbarra – Murun dhelk (Healing our Country, Healing Spirit, Healing People gathering together – living - 1 FOUNDATiONS OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY 12 13 1 FOUNDATiONS OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY 14 15 Protection of these 'components' of traditional resources would be adequate only if they are conserved, maintained, and enhanced in situ – as a part of the lands, territories and cultures of the Peoples themselves46. In Australia, options to improve the current situation include: j Requiring free, prior and informed consent and access and benefit-sharing in government-funded programs j Standardising research protocols and guidelines j Making protocols enforceable j Greater use of trademarks and branding j Developing standard research agreements that ensure the rights over knowledge are with the Indigenous people j Changes to the Native Title Act 1993 (Commonwealth) and other legislation to respect and protect Indigenous rights and interests to our knowledges j Specific legislation for Indigenous knowledge11. 1.5.4 Knowledge sharing protocols Our knowledge protocols are vital to positive experiences in sharing knowledge. It is our business to know and follow our own cultural protocols when sharing knowledge within each of our different Traditional Owner groups. We have worked together with scientists and others to establish protocols and guidelines for sharing knowledge outside. For example, scientists and Traditional Owners worked together in a National Environmental Science Program project that distilled four key lessons for sharing fire knowledge27 (p.22): 1. Indigenous peer-based knowledge sharing on Country, for example through ‘fire walks’, promotes and grows Indigenous knowledge, which is highly valued by Indigenous fire practitioners and leaders across Australia and critical to effective partnerships. 2. Knowledge sharing between Indigenous and non- Indigenous fire experts and practitioners is key to managing contemporary landscapes. Sharing can be formal or informal and needs to be co-designed with Traditional Owners and empower Indigenous decision-making to effectively support Indigenous fire management partnerships. 3. Knowledge-sharing relationships are key for collaborative and adaptive management. They inform partnership negotiation, design, and the monitoring and evaluation of the multiple benefits, risks, opportunities and practices of Indigenous fire management projects and partnerships. 4. Successful Indigenous fire knowledge practices and partnerships are embedded in and influenced by knowledge about people, Country and fire institutions. Systems thinking can help link Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge and facilitate knowledge partnerships. Many of our Indigenous groups, through their representative organisations including Prescribed Bodies Corporate, Aboriginal Corporations and Land Councils, are formulating their own protocols and guidelines for partnerships. For example, in their Healthy Country Plan52, the Bardi Jawi have established Traditional Owner Engagement and Protocols that apply to knowledge sharing (Box 1-3). In the absence of good laws to protect our ICIP, we work with contracts and protocols for recognition of our rights53. Agreement-making between Traditional Owners and partners, based on following Indigenous knowledge protocols, can provide for both customary law and Australian nation-state legal protection. We have developed agreements about using our local cultural protocols for working with our governments to ensure free, prior and informed consent for their activities. For example, the Dja Dja Wurrung Clan’s Aboriginal Corporation (DDWCAC) supported the processes of FPIC for a Joint Management Plan with the Victorian Government. Dja Dja Wurrung (DDW) people engaged in collective understanding through several activities including: DDW Champions Focus ' Groups, with several held on Country; Healthy Country Planning workshops; the DDWCAC Annual General Meeting; opportunities for interactive online mapping; and a three- day ‘Map-a-Thon’ workshop in collaboration with Parks Victoria. The DDWCAC Board made decisions at six board meetings held during 2017-18 (Box 1-4)54. Indigenous leaders in Perth worked with the National Trust of Australia to provide guidance about how our rights and understanding of knowledge, respect and ownership are the foundations for interpreting our heritage. Rights and understanding underpin the practical methods of an Indigenous Reference Group and agreement-making (Box 1-5)55. 1 FOUNDATiONS OF OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY 18 1.6 THE BENEFITS OF LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM COUNTRY As Indigenous people, we enjoy learning from each other, and from Country. Recent research has shown that sharing knowledge can be negatively associated with our wellbeing, while learning is positively associated56. We think this is because of our heavy responsibilities to follow cultural protocols when sharing knowledge, a responsibility that is not always well understood by those with whom we may be asked to share. Seven key messages about the benefits of Indigenous land and sea managers learning from each other were identified at the Kimberley Ranger Forum in 2017: 1. Being on Country, welcomed by Traditional Owners, following cultural protocols and reciprocity, sets the tone for respectful and collaborative deliberations, creating the right environment for learning, sharing and growing together. 2. Rangers are empowered through social cohesion, collegiality and a sense of pride experienced at the Forum. 3. Groundedness in Indigenous cultural ways of knowing, being, doing and learning through story, song, dance, art, language, family and kinship connections are most important in creating a safe space where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples can be who we are – honouring and acknowledging how we best learn, share from and grow with each other. 4. Peer-to-peer exchanges and one-on-one interactions allow for more targeted learning and follow up. 5. Exchanging/sharing common experiences, successes and challenges allows rangers to feel heard, valued and understood in being central to the success of any land and sea management program, through identifying what works and why in policy, program design and on-ground activities. This also supports women rangers and land managers to be stronger and more confident in our own roles and decision-making. 6. Engaging in practical, hands-on activities together, particularly the realistic first-aid scenarios, building the tables, the smack-down on the beach and fixing machinery, are great ways to undertake training. 7. Greater formal and informal interaction between rangers and non-Indigenous invitees to Forums can cultivate more of a collaborative working culture (collaborative empowerment)57. I love hearing the ideas and different perspectives from different people and the way they work on Country. Cissy Gore-Birch, Kimberley Ranger Forum, August 2017. The Forum was uplifted by happiness and unity of purpose. We hope that these Guidelines will also be a source of happiness and unity of purpose. We have included numerous links to videos and online material throughout the Guidelines and in the future would like to produce more videos and online tools to support people who like to learn in different ways. 20 2 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY Authors: Barry Hunter, Aunty Shaa Smith, Neeyan Smith, Sarah Wright, Paul Hodge, Lara Daley, Peter Yates, Amelia Turner, Mia Mulladad, Rachel Perkins, Myf Turpin, Veronica Arbon, Eleanor McCall, Clint Bracknell, Melinda McLean, Vic McGrath, Masigalgal Rangers, Masigalgal RNTBC, Doris YethunBurarrwaŋa, BentleyJames, Mick Bourke, Nathan Wong, Yiyili Aboriginal Community School Board, John Hill, Wiluna Martu Rangers, Birriliburu Rangers, Kate Cherry, Darug Ngurra, Uncle Lex Dadd, Aunty Corina Norman-Dadd, Paul Glass, Paul Hodge, Sandie Suchet-Pearson, Marnie Graham, Rebecca Scott, Jessica Lemire, Harriet Narwal, NAILSMA, Waanyi Garawa, Rosemary Hill, Pia Harkness and Emma Woodward. 2.1 INTRODUCTION TO CARING FOR COUNTRY 22 2.2 LISTENING AND TALKING WITH COUNTRY 23 2.3 SINGING AND DANCING OUR COUNTRY 25 2.4 ART FOR COUNTRY 28 2.5 BRINGING INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES INTO ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE 29 2.6 ESTABLISHING CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE DATABASES AND ARCHIVES 35 2.7 BUILDING STRENGTH THROUGH KNOWLEDGE RECORDING 36 2.8 WORKING WITH OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE, OBJECTS AND SITES 43 2.9 STRENGTHENING KNOWLEDGE WITH OUR KIDS IN SCHOOLS 48 21 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY 2.1 INTRODUCTION TO CARING FOR COUNTRY We are very concerned that our Country and our heritage are still being damaged. The most recent State of the Environment report recognises that Indigenous heritage is enjoying a resurgence, but remains at risk from incremental destruction and loss of knowledge and tradition75. We are worried that there is little real support for keeping our knowledge strong, including recording and documenting Indigenous knowledge. It is hard to get resources to support Elders to engage youth in learning language and culture and maintaining connection to Country – the key foundations of strong Indigenous knowledge systems. Much Indigenous knowledge is encoded in our local languages. Our traditional custodians hold grave concerns about their knowledge being lost as they pass away, and before it is properly passed on to the next generation12. In this chapter, we provide information about ways to keep our knowledge strong in caring for Country, together with case studies from around Australia. 2.2 LISTENING AND TALKING WITH COUNTRY 24 Want to know more? Here are some useful links: ‣ Deep listening (dadirri) (https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/ education/deep-listening-dadirri) ‣ Country talks back (https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mGaxcVwjlwk&list=PLmWe-V9tacwEPDU HggQgzE8YPRMaInQyA&index=19&t=0s) ‣ To learn your Country, start by learning its Aboriginal names (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-21/tolearn- your-country-start-by-learning-its-aboriginalnames/ 10719890) 2.3 SINGING AND DANCING OUR COUNTRY Our singing and dancing have kept our knowledge of our Country alive and strong from the beginning till today. As Yorta Yorta/Dja Dja Wurrung woman Lou Bennett sings in “Our Home Our Land” 79 (p. 178): Our home is our land where we stand proud and tall Our home is our land where we stand together We sing our home, our home, our home We dance our land, our land, where we stand together. Traditional Aboriginal songs are regarded by Arrernte people … as the quintessential repository of their law and culture … knowing songs – including the dances, narratives and visual designs that accompany them – are a significant part of Aboriginal identity. Myf Turpin, quote in Perkins80 25 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY 26 27 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY The project began with a search for, and repatriation of, the few women’s songs collected in the past. Careful checks were made to ensure that these songs were returned to the correct people and families. There followed a five-week camp wherein clan groups were invited and scheduled to come to the camp to sing and record their songs on video. Some families chose not to participate, and participants reflected that some of those that initially chose not to participate ‘felt sorry afterwards’. When recording was finished, the women collectively decided on how the songs would be managed. The Elder women gave a final authority to the decisions. Each song is assigned a Tjungayi (ceremonial manager). The recordings cannot be viewed by anyone without the permission of that Tjungayi. We all sat down and talked about where the knowledge was to be kept The decision as to where the songs should be kept was of great importance, and several locations were considered before AIATSIS was chosen as the ‘keeping place’. AIATSIS was chosen because it has the expertise in Aboriginal heritage and has best practice archival facilities for electronic materials. Two representatives were sent to Canberra to view the facility at AIATSIS prior to the decision being made to keep the recordings there. Lose language, and something very special will be missing Songs, dances and stories are vital for caring for Country – and it is also vital that we follow customary laws and protocols to make sure only the right people are involved in holding the knowledge. Want to know more? Here are some useful links: ‣ Djambidj: An Aboriginal Song Series from Northern Australia https://aiatsis.gov.au/publications/products/ djambidj-aboriginal-song-series-northern-australia ‣ Mission Songs Project http://apraamcos.com.au/news/2016/july/ exploring-modern-day-songlines-with-missionsongs- project/ ‣ Saltwater Freshwater Dance http://www.saltwaterfreshwater.com.au/ program/dance/ ‣ Paint up – Dance https://australianmuseum.net.au/about/history/ exhibitions/body-art/paint-up-aboriginal-dance/ 2.4 ART FOR COUNTRY 29 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY 30 31 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY 32 33 Our intention was, and is, to claim, control and enhance our heritage. We choose to do this by starting with a focused group and progressively sharing with ever widening circles, employing the following staged process: 1. Connecting archival material with its home community of origin; 2. Interpreting and making decisions about this material as a dynamic group including the senior descendants of archival informants and contemporary language custodians; 3. Reconnecting story, language and song to Country via visits to relevant sites; and 4. Sharing with the broader local community. As a result of this process so far, Wirlomin has produced a website and six bilingual, illustrated books of ancestral stories. Wirlomin members have developed interpretive signage for the public to engage with these stories on- Country, and presented Noongar language, story and song at schools and various public events. As a voluntary organisation, Wirlomin has relied on a diverse range of small federal and state government grants – plus support from two separate Australian Research Council funded projects administered by universities – to continue its work. The on-Country aspect of Wirlomin activities occasionally requires negotiation with the Department of Parks and Wildlife to gain access to restricted areas of National Parks. A number of productive Wirlomin trips to Fitzgerald River National Park were supported by the non-government organisation South Coast Natural Resource Management, an organisation that coordinates and administers funding provided by the Australian Government and the Government of Western Australia specifically allocated for natural resource management. Over the course of these trips, Wirlomin members were able to locate features in the landscape described in ancestral stories and songs, a vital step in restoring cultural values in the region. Whether engaging in analysis of archival material or collaboration with organisations and institutions, Wirlomin’s success relies on good governance, collective decision-making, and its members’ creativity, skills and commitment. A range of national and state government policy support has been helpful for protecting and promoting our Indigenous languages. The Australian Government currently provides around $20 million each year through the Indigenous Languages and Arts program. It supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to revive and maintain languages, and to develop and present art. Want to know more? Here are some useful links: ‣ First Languages Australia https://www.firstlanguages.org.au/ ‣ Mirima Dawang Woorllab-gerring: Mirima Place for Talking http://mirima.org.au/ ‣ National and Film Archive of Australia: 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/2019-internationalyear- indigenous-languages-nfsa 2.6 ESTABLISHING CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE DATABASES AND ARCHIVES We have managed complex cultural information systems for thousands of years, restricting access to some knowledge on the basis of seniority, gender and other factors. There is strong demand for safe ways to store knowledge that has varying access arrangements, driven by concern that knowledge is being lost as Elders pass away. Many Indigenous groups are now working with locally managed databases as a way to store cultural knowledge and archives with varying levels of access. Multi-layer data permissions allow for individuals to access different knowledge, dependent on language-specific cultural governance arrangements related to that knowledge. These cultural requirements add complexity to digital Indigenous knowledge databases. 35 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY and animalsz and include these words within the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA). This has led to new standards and workflows for the ALA, and given prominence to Indigenous knowledge alongside scientific taxonomy – for example, Emu, Bagabaga, Barrgay, Dhinawanaa. Want to know more? Here are some useful links: ‣ Ara Irititja Archive https://www.irititja.com ‣ Indigenous Ecological Knowledge: Atlas of Living Australia https://www.ala.org.au/Indigenousecological- knowledge/ 2.7 BUILDING STRENGTH THROUGH KNOWLEDGERECORDING 2.7.1 Seasonal calendars Seasonal knowledge is at the heart of our caring for Country. When we are on Country we are alert to how Country is changing with the seasons, and to different signs in the weather, plants and animals around us that signal to us to undertake different activities. For example, when we see calendar plants flowering, or the bark peeling off specific trees, or hear the call of certain insects, we know certain animals, bush tucker plants or medicines that are linked to those observations are now available for us to hunt and gather4,24. Over time this builds a detailed calendar of seasonal understanding of Country. We start to learn about these connected events from a young age. We all have our own unique seasonal calendars across Australia4. Seasonal calendars, when documented, are also a successful way of communicating our Indigenous knowledge outside our Traditional Owner groups. For example, the Ngan’gi Seasons Indigenous seasonal calendar acted as a tool to communicate to government water planners the importance of Ngan’gi people’s attachment to the Daly River, Northern Territory12,95. It was also incorporated in the Intergovernmental Science–Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ (IPBES) Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration96 to highlight the breadth of Indigenous knowledge drawn on for ecosystem management (Figure 2.2). z https://collections.ala.org.au/public/show/dr13266 aa https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd. taxon:c2714924-4fd5-456e-bb04-d23edbcf888f 37 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY 38 39 40 41 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY 42 Want to know more? Here are some useful links: ‣ Aboriginal knowledge: plants and animals https://nt.gov.au/environment/native-plants/ aboriginal-knowledge-plants-and-animals ‣ Australian Indigenous Astronomy (books) http://www.aboriginalastronomy.com.au/ research/books/ ‣ Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (books) https://aiatsis.gov.au/publications/books 2.8 WORKING WITH OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE, OBJECTS AND SITES Indigenous cultural heritage is found across Australia. Our Indigenous heritage includes many different objects, sites and our Indigenous knowledge, which has been passed from generation to generation, and connects us to our people and our Country. Our heritage also includes books, art, dance and songs which are created now based on our heritage97. Our songs, stories and dances are often called intangible cultural heritage. Our material cultural heritage includes artefacts, rock art, artefact scatters, occupation sites, shell middens, stone arrangements, scarred trees, rock wells, carved rocks and burial sites. Looking after and keeping our connections strong with these objects, sites and places is very important to us. We have established many cultural heritage centres throughout Australia to support our work, and to connect with government-mandated heritage work, such as the Gunditjmara Cultural Heritage Networkab established by the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation. Some of our centres are also language centres (see section 2.5). In NSW, for example, the Aboriginal Culture, Heritage and Arts Association Incac is our network of Aboriginal cultural centres, Keeping Places, knowledge centres, language centres and artist-run studios, established because: ab https://www.gunditjmirring.com/cultural-hetitage-network ac https://mgnsw.org.au/sector/aboriginal/ 43 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY 44 45 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY 46 47 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY 48 49 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY 50 51 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY 52 53 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY In 2018 Wiluna Remote Community School won the national Indigenous Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) School Award for their work with engaging with the Martu Rangers and the Wiluna community to use traditional knowledge to teach science to students. Want to know more? Here are some useful links: ‣ Martu knowledge and western science coming together in learning at Wiluna Remote Community School, Western Australia https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/ resources/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islanderhistories- and-cultures/illustrations-of-practice/ learning-together-through-two-way-science-atwiluna- remote-community-school/ ‣ Teaching from Country, Charles Darwin University http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/inc/tfc/yolngu_ resources.html ‣ Contested Knowledges, Charles Darwin University http://learnline.cdu.edu.au/units/ contestedknowledges/ ‣ Living Knowledge: Indigenous knowledge in science education http://livingknowledge.anu.edu.au/index.htm ‣ Indigenous STEM Education Project (CSIRO) https://www.csiro.au/en/Education/Programs/ Indigenous-STEM ‣ Indigenous knowledge in the national science curriculum https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_ continue=8&v=dPWd4wz5fGE ‣ The Orb, Tasmanian Government https://www.theorb.tas.gov.au/ 2.10 WALKING OUR COUNTRY 55 2 STRENGTHENiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR COUNTRY 56 57 58 59 60 61 3 SHARiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE iN CARiNG FOR COUNTRY 3.1 BUILDING TRUST FOR HiGHLiGHTS KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND j Overcoming the trust barrier between traditionally- driven world views and western scientific world views j Intellectual property: who owns, controls and has the authority to share Indigenous knowledge with outsiders? j Cultural protocols must be respected, to enhance trust in sharing of Indigenous knowledge j Protecting against the misappropriation or misinterpretation of Indigenous knowledge is critical j Mutually respectful engagement with researchers and other outsiders has the potential to provide opportunities for shared story-telling j Opportunities are emerging for sharing knowledge and culture through Indigenous-led enterprises. RECORDING 63 3 SHARiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE iN CARiNG FOR COUNTRY 64 65 66 ’ 68 69 70 71 72 3 Sharing our knowledge in caring for Country With the support of Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC), the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program, and the Indigenous Protected Areas Program, the Nyangumarta Warrarn Aboriginal Corporation has published a compilation of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of the Nyangumarta Warrarn Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). The booklet is a collection of ethno-botanical information passed down through generations of Nyangumarta people. More than 80 plants were collected, and descriptions of 70 species appear in the book. The data was collected during two surveys of Nyangumarta Country in 2014 and 2015. Driven by an increasing concern about the loss of knowledge held by Elders when they pass away, the Nyangumarta community worked with Elders to record their knowledge of plants (for foods, medicines, ceremony, artefacts and other purposes) within the IPA. The Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, who has provided support to the Nyangumarta land management program, including training of rangers, organised two ethno-botanical field surveys that involved both Elders and rangers. Given that no Traditional Owners remain living on Country, this was a critically important opportunity for rangers and Elders to come together on Country and share knowledge about Country. CASE STUDY 3-5 Traditional ecological knowledge of Nyangumarta Warrarn IPA Authors: Nyangumarta Warrarn Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC and Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Nyangumarta Warrarn Indigenous Protected Area INDIGENOUS PROTECTED AREAS Witchetty grubs in roots of Jimpirriny (Desert Poplar). Photo: Volker Mischker j Traditional ecological knowledge documented to support management of Country, and protect knowledge from being lost as Elders pass away j Project provided a critically important opportunity for rangers and Elders to come together on Country and share knowledge about Country The Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Nyangumarta Warrarn Indigenous Protected Area booklet, this project was funded by the Australian Government's National Landcare Program and Indigenous Protected Area Program. 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 3 SHARiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE iN CARiNG FOR COUNTRY 80 81 ’ 83 3 SHARiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE iN CARiNG FOR COUNTRY 84 3.8 KISSP AND THE MULTIPLE EVIDENCE BASE APPROACH j Multiple Evidence Base approach trialled to co-generate mutual learning and knowledge production across knowledge systems j Key outcome: development of a new saltwater monitoring framework founded on Indigenous as well western science views of healthy saltwater Country j Key learning: the creation of knowledge partnerships can mobilise Indigenous knowledge and support co-production of new knowledge. The Kimberley Indigenous Saltwater Science Project (KISSP) sees benefits from voluntary adoption of the Multiple Evidence Base (MEB) approach for knowledge sharing. The overarching aim of KISSP was to facilitate best practice knowledge production to look after Kimberley Saltwater Country. A MEB approach to collaboratively mobilising Indigenous knowledges (IK) and western scientific knowledge was trialled through KISSP, as one approach available to Indigenous people and their partners to share, use and co-produce the best available knowledge- base for decision-making, management and monitoring of Kimberley saltwater Country. MEB recognises that different knowledge systems have their own histories, contexts and methods for validating what it known to be true143. Bringing knowledge together is often best approached and thought about as a process of weaving, rather than integrating (Figure 3.4)142. One key outcome of bringing multiple knowledges and disciplines together was the development of a new saltwater monitoring framework that attended to the Indigenous values underpinning Indigenous understanding of Healthy Country, and not purely a western science view of what constitutes healthy saltwater Country. 86 3.9 SHOWING AND SHARING KNOWLEDGE IN THE FITZROY RIVER CATCHMENT – CODEVELOPED CASE STUDY Authors: Dennis Chungalla, Heather Wungundin, Mary Aiken, Jean Malay, Bernadette Williams, Tim Cranbell, Josephine Forrest, Marmingee Hand, Ross James, Elizabeth Jingle, Olive Knight, Nathan Lennard, Valerie Lennard, Ileen Malay, Lindsay Malay, Wallace Midmee, Stuart Morton, Chloe Nulgit, Patricia Riley, Ina Shadforth, Jane Bieundurry, George Brooking, Sherika Brooking, Willy Brumby, Victor Bulmer, Virgil Cherel, Ashley Clifton, Sam Cox, Matt Dawson, Cissy Gore-Birch, Alistair Hobbs, Duran Hobbs, Camelia Juboy, Patricia Juboy, Annette Kogolo, Barry Lennard, Con Lennard, Deon Lennard, Nelita Malay, Zenneth Malay, David Marshall, Herbert Marshall, Lezeka Millindee, Diane Mowaljarlai, Andrea Myers, Thomas Nnarda, Joy Nuggett, Lloyd Nulgit, Pansy Nulgit, Anne Poelina, Daniel Poudrill, Joe Ross, Jimmy Shandley, Sandy Skeen, Gordon Smith, Mervyn Street, Pauline Thomas, Bronson Wongawol, Harry Yungabun, Fitzroy High School Students (Arosha Sunfly, Cyntala Cook, Kaunell Shaw, Taliesha Collard, Yvonne Collard), Ro Hill, Ilisapeci Lyons, Nat Raisbeck-Brown, Rachel Buissereth and Pia Harkness j Traditional Owners and scientists sought ways of bringing together scientific and Indigenous knowledge for making decisions on Country j Participatory mapping methods were used for showing and sharing scientific and cultural knowledge, and provided a space for Traditional Owners from different parts of the catchment to share their stories and speak for Country j The project provided an important opportunity for Traditional Owners from throughout the Fitzroy River catchment to come together, strengthen their relationships and build trust j By sharing traditional knowledge and learning western and political knowledge together, Traditional Owners reported feeling empowered to use these knowledges to inform management and development decisions on Country in the future. 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. Traditional Owner Partners Bunuba Dawangarri Aboriginal Corporation Gooniyandi Aboriginal Corporation Jaru Claimant Group Kija Native Title Group (Ngarrawanji and Yurriyangem Taam sub-groups) Tiya-Tiya Aboriginal Corporation Walalakoo Aboriginal Corporation Warrwa Claimant Group Wilinggin Aboriginal Corporation Yanunijarra Aboriginal Corporation Yungngora Aboriginal Corporation 87 3 SHARiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE iN CARiNG FOR COUNTRY 88 We used the influence maps to think about building blocks towards having more influence in the future. We found that rules and stories from both first law and western law were important tools of power. Participants said that Traditional Owners need to be strong in their first law, culture and language before coming strong in western law, rules and education. This means respecting Elders, and young people and Elders spending more time together on Country. We identified that to be stronger and createpower,Traditional Owners must be better at working together. PBCs and rangers need to put more effort into working with and listening to Elders. Traditional Owners also need to work better with others, including government, researchers, land councils and other land users. Some groups could benefit from increasing trust. We need to find where there is trust, identify common ground and keep building the trust from that basis. Many Traditional Owners want economic development opportunities from our Country, but mostly the suggestions and proposals are focused on established pastoral and mining industries. We are also interested in pursuing new and emerging sustainable industries, with less pressure on natural systems. When we discussed options for new industries, we also considered that we need to be careful when we don’t know what the impacts might be. Our people need support and training to be able to benefit from economic development in our region, whether from new or established industries. 89 3 SHARiNG OUR KNOWLEDGE iN CARiNG FOR COUNTRY 90 4 4 HOW iS OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY bEiNG RECOGNiSED GLObALLY? Authors: Bradley Moggridge, Robin Dann, Emma Woodward, Prasert Trakansuphakon, Chaiprasert Phokha, Nutdani Trakansuphakon, Pernilla Malmer, Maria Tengö, Rosemary Hill and Pia Harkness HiGHLiGHTS j At an international level, Indigenous knowledge systems are gaining momentum as sophisticated ways of understanding that can contribute to efforts to fix the world’s issues, and which are becoming normal for researchers to embed in a project j Australian Indigenous Peoples are well-placed to use their knowledge, gained from their long association of knowing and caring for Country, to lead solutions to international issues. j Many Australian Indigenous Peoples are engaging internationally and linking their insights to global Indigenous knowledge movements j The many international initiatives, agreements, protocols, statements and articles now available 4.1 LINKING UP WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES GLOBALLY 92 4.2 BRINGING OUR VOICE TO THE UNITED NATIONS 96 4.3 SPEAKING UP FOR COUNTRY THROUGH THE CONVENTIONS ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND WORLD HERITAGE 98 4.4 THE CBD AND THE NAGOYA PROTOCOL 101 4.5 INDIGENOUS AND LOCAL KNOWLEDGE CENTRES OF DISTINCTION 102 4.6 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ORGANISATIONS IN THE IUCN 103 4.7 STRENGTHENING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE OF CLIMATE CHANGE GLOBALLY 103 4.8 LESSONS TOWARDS BEST PRACTICE FROM THIS CHAPTER 104 91 4 HOW iS OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY bEiNG RECOGNiSED GLObALLY? 4.1 LINKING UP WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES GLOBALLY We are linking up with Indigenous Peoples all over the world who bring their own knowledge systems to look after their traditional territories. In 2013, the Australian Government and the World Indigenous Network National Advisory Group organised the very first World Indigenous Network (WIN) Conference in Darwin. WIN was first announced at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio +20) in Brazil in June 2012 by the then Prime Minster of Australia, Julia Gillard, with the support of Brazil, New Zealand and Norway. Gigari George, Wulgurukaba Tradtional Owner said: and Chair of the Australian Government Environment s Indigenous Advisory Committee, June 2012144 This was a proud moment. As I stood and listened to the Prime Minister’s words, I felt the enormity and the possibilities of WIN across the world, and I knew I had to be a part of it. Gigari George, Co-chair of WIN National Advisory Group Minister’ Figure 4.1. Gigari George, World Indigenous Network National Advisory Group Co-chair, 2013. – – 94 95 4 HOW iS OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY bEiNG RECOGNiSED GLObALLY? piloted in Brazil’s Cerrado; and the Tsilhqot’in Nation of British Columbia, Canada, is adapting the Australian model to develop a carbon accounting methodology appropriate to the forest ecosystems of the Dasiqox Tribal Park as a means to fund early-season fire management. Wunggurr Rangers are also part of a ground-breaking project that has seen Indigenous fire experts travel to Botswana for a two-week period to work with Botswana Government Rangers, facilitated by the International Savanna Fire Management Initiativebj. The purpose of the trip was to introduce a new way of managing and thinking about fire, and reduce the incidence of wildfire, which is impacting on wildlife, tourism and other economic opportunities. Wunggurr ranger Robin Dann, from Gibb River Station, says the Botswanans were blown away by the Australian rangers’ skills: I feel really good knowing that I passed on something. When they were trying to put out a fire, they’d be running around, lots of people and fire trucks, not much leadership and not much knowledge of fire, and it ended up a real big hot fire. But for us, we used the wind, and ours was less intense, less heat, hardly any smoke. We’re different cultures, but for both of us, fire is so important, and once upon a time the fire regime in Australia was the best in the world I reckon. With funding of $3.87 million over four years, the project is also facilitating Indigenous knowledge exchange between Kimberley Aboriginal people and communities in Botswana. Following on from the successful visit to Botswana in May 2019, a Botswanan delegation participated in the 2019 Kimberley Land Council Healthy Country Forumbk in the north west corner of Australia. bj www.isfmi.org bk https://www.klc.org.au/internationalpartnerships? rq=Botswana 4.2 BRINGING OUR VOICE TO THE UNITED NATIONS bl https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/unpfiisessions- 2.html In 2001, The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) established the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, who prepares both annual and special reports, such as the 2017 Report on impacts of climate change and climate finance on Indigenous Peoples’ rightsbm. Ms. Victoria Tauli Corpuzbn, an Indigenous leader from the Kankana-ey Igorot people of the Cordillera Region in the Philippines, has been the Special Rapporteur since 2014. In 2007, the UNHRC also established an Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP)bo, comprised of seven independent experts. Professor Megan Davisbp, an Australian Aboriginal woman , is currently one of the seven independent experts, with her term extending until 2022.The EMRIP holds an annual session and prepares many reports and studies, which underpin statements such as the Statement on the International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL) 2019bq. The IYIL was created to draw attention to the importance of the estimated 7,000 Indigenous languages spoken around the world. Forty percent of these languages are considered to be in danger of disappearing, placing the cultures and knowledge systems to which they belong at risk147. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was prepared in 2004 by the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. It recognises Indigenous ownership of Indigenous cultural expression, and in 2007 was voted on and accepted by the UN. Australia, along with three other countries, originally did not accept UNDRIP. However, in 2009 Australia reversed its position and accepted it as a non-legally binding document. bm https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/59c2720c4.pdf bn https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/SRIndigenousPeoples/ Pages/VictoriaTauliCorpuz.aspx bo https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/EMRIP/Pages/ EMRIPIndex.aspx bp https://www.law.unsw.edu.au/staff/megan-davis bq https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews. aspx?NewsID=24122&LangID=E 97 4 HOW iS OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY bEiNG RECOGNiSED GLObALLY? 98 99 4 HOW iS OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY bEiNG RECOGNiSED GLObALLY? 100 101 102 103 104 105 5 ACTiONS TOWARDS bEST pRACTiCE TO SUppORT OUR KNOWLEDGE OUR WAY 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 nesp.northern@cdu.edu.aunespnorthern.edu.auThis research was supported through funding from the AustralianGovernment’s National Environmental Research Program. Call for case studies to develop Our Knowledge, Our Way Guidelines nesp.northern@cdu.edu.aunespnorthern.edu.auThis research was supported through funding from the AustralianGovernment’s National Environmental Research Program. Call for case studies to develop Our Knowledge, Our Way Guidelines A new set of guidelines, Our Knowledge, Our Way Guidelines, are being developed as a resource for Indigenous land managers to learn from others about issues and options for bringing Indigenous knowledge into environmental management and economic development. A secondary audience for the guidelines is the partners of Indigenous land managers, including those in co-management arrangements. The development of the guidelines is Indigenous-driven. The North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) and CSIRO have received funding from the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program and the project team is being guided by an Indigenous-majority Steering Group. The Australian Committee of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (ACIUCN) is supporting the project through the engagement of its national networks and facilitating international exposure when completed. Why are these guidelines important? Indigenous peoples have responsibility for management of large areas of land and sea across Australia. They also hold an enormous stake in ensuring a sustainable future for their communities and natural and cultural environments. Indigenous land managers draw on their knowledge to make management decisions on a daily basis, including running businesses and enterprises based on natural resources. There is also increasing interest from non-Indigenous people in Indigenous knowledge as a management tool. The way in which knowledges are shared is therefore important. We seek your help in understanding what ‘our knowledge, our way’ means To inform these guidelines, the project team is seeking case studies from across the country. These case studies will be used to help highlight what Indigenous groups believe have worked for them. The guidelines will be created by combining the case studies with background information on the importance of ‘our knowledge, our way’, how knowledge is being recognised and used in Australia and internationally, and potential policy that can support ‘our knowledge, our way’. It is expected that draft guidelines will be available in 2019. 125 REFERENCES 126 Background to Our Knowledge, Our Way Guidelines The project ‘Knowledge brokering for Indigenous land management’ seeks to support improved Indigenous land management and decision- making. The project is co-led between CSIRO and NAILSMA. Together, these organisations design and test culturally tailored knowledge brokering methods and tools, and facilitate the sharing of these through a pan-northern Indigenous knowledge network. The project is governed through a Steering Committee made up of representatives from Indigenous organisations across northern Australia. The Steering Committee decided that the development of knowledge brokering guidelines, developed by and for Indigenous land managers, could be a useful tool for supporting Indigenous knowledge to be applied in land and sea management, alongside science and other knowledge. The ACIUCN was approached, and together the decision was made to create a set of guidelines, Our Knowledge Our Way, that aligned with an ongoing series of other ACIUCN guidelines (see www.iucn.org/theme/species/ publications/guidelines). 127 REFERENCES