Copenhagen - a positive step for
NAILSMA
Whilst there wasn’t the binding agreement some expected at
Copenhagen regarding climate change, for NAILSMA the conference
provided opportunities to:
• start building relationships with other Indigenous
groups living in savannas around the world and facing similar
challenges regarding management of country whilst living in varying
levels of poverty,
• attend talks about Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and
Forest Degradation in developing countries (REDD), a program that
provides an incentive to the storage of carbon in forests and tries
to achieve better management, biodiversity outcomes in developing
countries,
• present, on ‘Indigenous Day’, the work being
conducted around savanna fire management, where we learnt that the
project to produce carbon offsets from savanna fires in particular
the WALFA project is ground-breaking internationally, and
• view films showcasing the excellent work being done around
the world by Indigenous people on climate change.
Copenhagen also led us to believe that we have a way to go to get
our approaches to dealing with Climate Change in the north, and to
ensure that further pressures on Indigenous peoples to reside on
their country, needs a long term and comprehensive approach that
will require practical, policy and research and development
investments.
Click here to view
full article.
Click here to view
NAILSMA Copenhagen posters.
Joe
Morrison,
NAILSMA CEO
Attending Copenhagen were Nolan Hunter, Samara
Erlandson and Joe Morrison.
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CPRS down but not out
The failure of the CPRS bill to get through parliament has not
diminished the work NAILSMA has or is doing to assist Indigenous
land managers across the northern savannas to enter a regulated
market place for Green House Gas Offsets when one finally
appears.
In the meantime the economic potential of fire and emissions
abatement through Indigenous land management is being further
enhanced with work on entry into voluntary markets, fee for service
arrangements and with far-sighted research into carbon
sequestration offsets for managed savannas.
Glenn
James
Social Programs Officer, Carbon
Project
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Fire and land management planning
week
About 40 people from regional project areas, the science
fraternity, institutional partners, collaborators and service
providers came together for a week of workshops and scheduling last
week.
The strong contingent worked through a broad range of science
and livelihood topics to map out what will be a very busy
2010.
Ranger groups have excelled in their fire management programs over
2009 and are growing important regional relationships and new
capacities for land and fire management work. Much remains at stake
though, in an Indigenous land management environment where policy
and other support can change fairly rapidly.
The need to secure long term core income was an important theme for
land managers at the meetings. Enterprise development steps will be
high on the working agenda for many traditional land owners,
rangers and their Land Councils this year.
Click here
to listen to Otto Campion talk about Fire Management on
Country.
Photo: Tom Vigilante, Land and Sea Unit, Kimberley Land Council,
Steering Committee Member
Glenn
James
Social Programs Officer, Carbon
Project
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Advocating for Indigenous Water
Rights
The Indigenous
Water Policy Group (IWPG)will convene at Parliament house
in Darwin for its 11th meeting on 23 and 24 March. Following the
recent addition of the Interim Mary River Water Group, the newly
expanded IWPG will start discussions around this year’s
strategic direction.
The first day will focus on research and policy development
partnerships for Indigenous engagement in water planning and
management processes.
On the second day the IWPG will meet with its Policy
Engagement Group(PEG), made up of state and territory water
agencies, to discuss plans to engage Indigenous interests in water
allocation plans.
On the morning of 24 March, the IWPG will formally launch its
Indigenous Water Policy Statement at Parliament House. The
launch aims to highlight to governments the seriousness of
Indigenous people engaging in all water reform processes and bring
to the attention of government decision makers and the broader
community, a north Australian Indigenous voice for water
rights.
Lorrae
McArthur
Coordinator, Indigenous
Water Policy Group
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Water Facilitator Highlights
Water Facitators met in Darwin in February. Here are a few of their
highlights from recent months:
Annette Kogolo (Water Facilitator for the Fitzroy and West
Kimberley region, WA) participated in a two week workshop about
promoting internationally accredited education that recognises
Indigenous knowledge. The workshop was hosted by GAIA University
which supports the United Nations University/NAILSMA Higher
Education Recognition of Traditional Knowledge Holders (HERTKH)
project. It was held in St. Croix in the Caribbean.
Sonia Leonard (Water Facilitator for the East Kimberley, WA)
took part in a cultural education day for the children at
Jungdranung Remote Community School. The focus of the day was
cultural stories of the many gorges and springs that surround the
Mandangala community. Children from the school, also participated
in Miriuwung language and dancing classes. Over 20 elders from
Kununurra participated and a 10min DVD has now been produced
showcasing the highlights of the event.
Peter Pender (Water Facilitator for the Daly region, NT) has
been meeting Indigenous people and groups associated with the Daly.
He recently presented the aims of the NAILSMA Water Program and the
Water Facilitator Network to the NLC Katherine Regional Council,
and the Daly River Aboriginal Reference Group as the first step to
further meetings.
Tonya Murray (Water Facilitator for the Gregory catchment &
Gulf Region, Qld), is consulting with CLCAC rangers and
Traditional Owners, discussing issues around water and concerns
about the potential impacts of industries in the area including
mining and pastoralism. During consultations they’ve been
identifying studies/research that they would like to see occur in
their country to ensure that water is properly managed for the
future.
Marceil Lawrence (outgoing Water Facilitator for the Mitchell
and Sothern Cape York region, Qld) visited communities to
listen to people discuss water issues including their concerns
about water quality and associated health risks. She also attended
a Community Water Planning workshop hosted by National Water
Commission in Canberra to launch the Field Guide to the Community
Water Planner.
Waubin Richard Aken (Water Facilitator for the Wenlock region,
Qld) has had several meetings to discuss the best ways for the
views of the community to be put forward about government water
reform.
Hugh Wallace
Smith
Coordinator, Indigenous
Community Water Facilitator Network
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Governments receive Water Forum
recommendations
At the NAILSMA hosted Indigenous Experts Water
Futures Forum held at Mary River in August last year, 80
Indigenous people from all over north Australia discussed water
issues and then resolved to ‘stand together for Indigenous
water rights’.
Click here
to download poster (right).
The Mary
River Statementand the final Forum
Report were presented to the Land and Water Taskforce to
incorporate into recommendations to governments, and for inclusion
in the final Taskforce report, Sustainable
Development in Northern Australia.
The Taskforce report attracted national and regional TV and radio
attention and debate, for example click
here to listen to (or read) an interview with Joe on the
World Today.
Kalem
Ronberg
Indigenous
Water Resource Management Program
Project Support Officer
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Sustainable enterprises research
update
NAILSMA continues to research under the Tropical Rivers and Coastal
Knowledge (TRaCK) Theme 6 (Sustainable Enterprises) which is
investigating opportunities for sustainable enterprises, based
around river resources.
Water Markets: TRaCK Project 6.1
Researchers are due to deliver their report on Task 2 which is
looking at stakeholder values and attitudes toward water trading.
Dr William Nikolakis has travelled across north Australia to
conduct numerous structured interviews.
Water Rights: Project 6.2
Project Leader, Michael O’Donnell, is due to deliver his
final report on law and policy influencing water use.
Case Study - Arnhem Land NT: Project 6.3
Dr Nanni Concu has undertaken preliminary fieldwork for this Case
Study which is looking at strategies to develop and finance an
effective conservation and sustainable use economy in two focus
areas, the Maningrida Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) in central
Arnhem Land and the Dhimurru IPA in NE Arnhem Land.
Case Study - Archer River Cape York QLD: Project 6.4
The focus of the Case Study is on the delivery of environmental
services by Indigenous people but will also look into other and
opportunities for sustainable Indigenous livelihoods. It is
conducted by Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation.
Case Study - Fitzroy River Kimberley WA: Project 6.5
A Senior Research Fellow to be based in the community has been
employed for the next 12 months.
The Case Study is working with the Nyikina Mangala Aboriginal
Corporation based in the West Kimberley region. The Nyikina Mangala
people are Traditional Owners from the lower Fitzroy River to the
Great Sandy Desert. Through a participatory, action-based research
approach, the researcher will document factors that have
contributed to the Nyikina Mangala’s sustainable livelihoods
agenda momentum to date, and document and facilitate the
continuation of this momentum through achieving the Case Study
objectives.
Click here
to view complete project update.
Photo: Consultation with Nyikina Mangala Traditional Owners,
Mardoowarra (Lower Fitzroy River) (photographer: Tanya Vernes
WWF)
Michael
Storrs,
Coordinator, TRaCK
Sustainable Enterprises (Theme 6)
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Healthy Country - Bush Heritage
Projects
Bush Heritage Australia (BHA) is a non-government conservation
organisation that has been working with NAILSMA to build
partnerships with Aboriginal people and organisations across
northern Australia – including Cape York, western Arnhem
Land, the Gulf and the Kimberley.
In February 2010 BHA staff visited their partners, Wunambal and
Gaambera Traditional Owners, in Kalumburu to review the final draft
of a Healthy Country Plan they have been working on together for
the past two years.
The Wunambal Gaambera Healthy Country Project has also produced an
Action Plan for the ranger program, a Field Guide to
plants and animals, a Resource Book documenting scientific
and cultural values information, and a management plan for
declaration of Wunambal Gaambera Country as an Indigenous
Protected Area.
Emma
Ignjic
Indigenous Partnerships Officer
Bush
Heritage Australia Conservation on Country Program
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New Indigenous Ecological Knowledge
Projects
Enthusiastic support for IEK projects was received at a series of
meetings held with traditional owners, senior elders and NAILSMA,
in Laynhapuy homelands in far eastern Arnhem Land in February.
Proposals concerned knowledge about aquatic and marine habitats and
their biodiversity and will use ceremony, art manufacture of
traditional harvesting equipment and the harvest of plants and
animals as a focus for the intergenerational transfer of Indigenous
ecological knowledge.
Several projects are in the process of being contracted to the
Victoria Daly Shire to facilitate ‘Back to Country’
Indigenous Ecological Knowledge camps.
The camps will assist the Rak Dirrangara people, the Rak Malgin
people and the Jamindjung language group maintain their intimate
knowledge of country in the Wadeye region of Top End NT. The
administrative processes developed through these projects will also
assist the Victoria Daly Shire in future partnerships with
Indigenous initiated projects.
Photo: Laynhapuy area
David
Wise
Program Officer
Indigenous
Ecological Knowledge project
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Saltwater People Network
Underway
The inaugural planning forum for the newly created Saltwater
People Network took place at Mount Bundy Station in the
Northern Territory from 23rd to 25th of February 2010.
Click here
to see Story Reports and listen to what participants had to
say.
The forum brought together Saltwater People from across the north
to discuss the direction of the Saltwater People Network—a
new NAILSMA project that builds on the highly successful Dugong and
Marine Turtle Project.
Participants were unanimous in their support for the future
development of I-Tracker
including the “I-Map” concept (the development of
advanced mapping and reporting capabilities for CyberTracker data)
and a revised I-Tracker program for the collection of data during
saltwater country patrols.
Click here
to read more about the Forum.
Rod
Kennett, Saltwater Country Management
Micha
Jackson, I-Tracker Project Development Officer
Joshua
Kitchens, Communication and Network Officer
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