Wantiku tjuma (Women’s story)
The first women-only Birriliburu Ranger trip, supported by Bush Heritage and Desert Support Services staff, helps to keep Martu knowledge strong.
In October last year, I visited Quebec, Canada for the fourth Global Congress of the International Land Conservation Network (ILCN) to share my experiences and learn from others. In support of the theme ‘Relationships for a resilient world’, First Nations, culturally led conservation was at the forefront of the agenda. These international forums are crucial for sharing knowledge and fostering global cooperation in environmental conservation.
I took away a great number of lessons from the conference, but what was really empowering was how the international conservation community responded to the work Bush Heritage is doing in the partnerships space. When it comes to cultural competency and genuine First Nations engagement, our ‘right-way’ approach is leading the way.
I spoke about how we build trust in our partnerships model through genuine collaboration. During a panel conversation with chairman of Landcare Australia and former Bush Heritage CEO Doug Humann, I spoke about the importance of decolonising the scientific process by reversing conventional models of working with First Nations people in favour of a culturally led approach. At Bush Heritage, First Nations interests are guiding principles.
Our national Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Workforce are Traditional Custodians themselves, which allows us to confidently navigate culturally complex terrain and permeate a high level of cultural competency across all our reserves and partnerships. Our Healthy Country Planning model where we undertake extensive cultural heritage assessments and properly identify the aspirations of Traditional Custodians to care for Country is extraordinarily important. The goal is to integrate traditional knowledge into Western science frameworks to improve long term outcomes and ultimately deliver more.
Sitting in spaces with other First Nations people navigating the same issues made me feel incredibly strengthened. Momentum is growing for authentic, First Nations led conservation on a global scale, but it was great to see that Bush Heritage are leaders in this space.
It's easy to become insular and focus solely on local issues. However, the challenges we face in Australia are often mirrored globally. As the conference highlighted, we're all in this together. What happens here can have far-reaching consequences for the world, and vice versa.
