Radio National: Indigenous perspective on sustainability

SUBJECTS:  Geography

YEARS:  9–10

Find out about some Indigenous sustainability practices and perspectives on land management in this audio interview.

Listen as how this spokesperson from the 2007 Caring for Country conference explains how traditional knowledge of the land and cultural significance guide Aboriginal environmental sustainability.

Also discover formal processes for resolving conflicts between competing interests.

Things to think about

1. 1.Aboriginal people have been practising environmental sustainability for tens of thousands of years. What do you know about Aboriginal sustainability practices? In what ways do you think these traditional ways of managing the land differ from the mainstream community's methods and views?
2. 2.Listen as conference compere Cliff Cobbo discusses the different views of natural resource management. How does he describe the differences between a mainstream management system and the Aboriginal context for management? Cliff Cobbo discusses traditional knowledge and connection to seasons and sites of significance. What does he say states and territories have done to protect these? How does this affect developers?
3. 3.Explain what formal processes have been put in place to facilitate the involvement of traditional owners in land management. Consider the role of these processes in enabling Aboriginal communities to continue traditional activities and to be involved in land-use decision making. Can you think of an example of a potential conflict when these processes might be important?
4. 4.Cliff Cobbo talks about agreements called TUMRAs (Traditional Use Marine Resources Agreements). Do some research to find out more about these agreements. Who are they between and how do TUMRAs support the traditional use of natural resources in an environmentally sustainable way?

Acknowledgements

Image from Parks Australia licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Date of broadcast: 8 Oct 2007

Copyright

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