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Indigenous Led Conservation Empowering People, Community and Connection to Country

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Indigenous Led Conservation Empowering People, Community and Connection to Country Indigenous led conservation Empowering people, community and connection to country When Western Australia’s Aboriginal Ranger Program launched in 2017, it was expected to create jobs and help with conservation outcomes. More than halfway through the program, it is the strong social and cultural impacts that are being most deeply felt throughout communities. by Dr Kate Rodger and Dr Amanda Smith n the more than 50,000 years prior to European settlement, Aboriginal Ipeople practiced a complex system of land management. Australia is home to hundreds of individual nations or countries, each with distinct cultural practices and methods of flourishing in a harsh environment. Sharing of knowledge and caring for country is a fundamental part of Aboriginal culture. In modern times, caring for country is supported through Aboriginal ranger programs across Australia that combine traditional and protect the environment with support income. Jobs are often scarce and welfare methods and generational knowledge from the Department of Biodiversity, dependency is high in remote areas. with modern technologies and land Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) The opportunity for employment as management practices. and across government. rangers addresses this barrier and this The ranger programs are managed by Since the program was launched in program creates meaningful jobs with real Aboriginal organisations, strongly guided 2017, 35 grants have been awarded to benefits, whether casual, part time or full by Aboriginal elders and community, 28 projects across the State. Mid-way time. with support and funding from through the program, more than 300 The employment of rangers creates government. people have already been employed, of significant social, cultural and economic In remote communities, job which more than half are women, and benefits as well as contributing to opportunities are scarce and being $11 million in funding has been leveraged improved community wellbeing and employed as a ranger is not only helping from project partners. resilience through building leadership skills with income and training, but with Rangers undertake land and sea and enabling partnerships with private confidence and a sense of purpose. management including conservation, sector organisations. In Western Australia, Aboriginal cultural, tourism and education activities Fieldwork, including interviews and rangers are assisting the State across a range of tenures. Education participant observation, were undertaken Government to manage country and training are key components of with two case study projects that involved and protect the environment with the program, with almost 292 rangers Bardi Jawi Rangers, Nyul Nyul Rangers, extraordinary results. commencing training (including on-the-job Karajarri Rangers and Ngurrara Rangers training) and 40 TAFE qualifications being in the Kimberley, as part of a scientific MAKING PROGRESS achieved. process to evaluate the social outcomes WA’s Aboriginal Ranger Program is The key benefit identified from of the program. A third case study with a five-year, $20-million initiative helping the Aboriginal Ranger Program was Esperance Tjaltjraak Rangers has also Aboriginal organisations manage country the creation of jobs and the associated commenced. Previous page Main Bardi Jawi rangers. Inset left Bardi Jawi ranger inspects a tree. Photos – Shem Bisluk/DBCA Inset right Karajarri rangers. Photo – Amanda Smith/DBCA Above Bardi Jawi ranger tends to seedlings. Left Nyul Nyul rangers. Opposite page Above left Nyul Nyul rangers planting seeds. Right Dampier Peninsula. Photos – Shem Bisluk/DBCA 14 LANDSCOPE ABORIGINAL RANGER PROGRAM December 2017 Balanggarra Juvenile ABORIGINAL RANGER Rangers: Staying Strong by Healing Country PROGRAM Dampier Peninsula Women Rangers Monsoon Vine FUNDED PROJECTS Kununurra ●• Thicket Recovery Project Establishing the Nyaliga Rangers to Yawuru Women’s keep country and culture healthy on Ranger Project Karunjie and Durack River Stations Broome ! Fitzroy Crossing ●• Building capacity in the Bunuba Rangers to better Development of a protect country and culture sustainable Nyamal Ranger Program Wintawari Ranger Program Karajarri-Ngurrara Yindjibarndi Rangers Program: Port Hedland ●• Desert Fire and Land management and cultural Biodiversity Project assets protection – Indigenous ●• Karratha Ranger employment in the Pilbara region Budadee Ranger Kija Rangers Environmental Program and Cultural Conservation Exmouth ●• Capacity Building Project Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa Ranger Program in Jidi Jidi Aboriginal Corporation Karlamilyi National Park Land Management Unit and Ranger Meekatharra Ranger Development Program Development Program Matuwa Kurrara Kurrara Carnarvon ●• Indigenous Protected Area Aboriginal Ranger Project Warnpurru Protecting cultural assets Ranger Program and traditional knowledge in the Burringurrah (Mt Augustus) complex Pathway to Malgana Country Land and Sea Management Program Yilka Land Management Tjiwarl Healthy Country and Ranger Program Ranger Program ●• Geraldton Minyma Uninypa – The Seed Women Goldfields Land and Sea Council Ranger Program ●• Kalgoorlie Winjan Binjareb Boodja Rangers Program Ngadju Women Esperance Tjaltjraak PERTH ●• Rangers Noongar Boodja Mentored Emerging Ranger Program – Employment and Training Affirming Connection to Our Partnership Country, Our Boodja Busselton ●• Ngoolark Ranger ●• Esperance Learn more about WA’s Enterprises Aboriginal Ranger Program Moorditj Noongar and Yorgas – Albany ●• Albany Aboriginal Rangers working on country Scan this QR code or visit Parks and Wildlife Service’s ‘LANDSCOPE’ playlist on YouTube. Graticule shown at 5 degree intervals Legend Proposed projects (Established) Proposed projects (Emerging) Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 0 62.5 125 250 375 500 Produced December 2017 Kilometres The Dept. of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions does not guarantee that this map is without flaw of any kind and disclaims all liability for any errors, loss or other consequence which may arise from relying on any information depicted. In their words... DBCA research staff visited two case study projects in the Kimberley and spoke to rangers and key partners about the program. This is what they said: 1 COUNTRY AND COMMUNITY 3 Ranger program is good, asking elders to go out with PARTNERSHIPS AND 2 them and tell them what we OPPORTUNITIES did a long time ago and how we survived on eating bush “With the ranger program a nice We have seen some of our foods and lizards. Young people balance, got some good partnerships rangers come into this program synergies happening in ranger program. learning from us. Good for them who are very shy and don’t Empowering Aboriginal organisations to learn from us and listening. to be able to run their own show and like to talk much but through We need more women working not need a KLC or DBCA.” Key Partner experiences like going out with with the rangers. Elder, Karajarri “They [rangers] get an opportunity elders, going out with project “Elders are teaching us. Being to learn and share their culture and partners, working with Parks and back out on country to see where our when the department is lucky enough Wildlife they slowly get more to be in collaboration with traditional ancestors came from. Elders are happy confidence. Indigenous Protected owners, not only do we get to talk and proud that sharing knowledge to us – Area Coordinator being a ranger gives us that opportunity.” about the western science and monitoring Ranger, Ngurrara but we get to learn some of that “Social benefits and conservation traditional ecological knowledge and the benefits are massive. In terms of the “We play a big role in the community, combination of those two things is really return on investment is massive, in terms even though we are rangers I think about powerful when we are working with of reduced cost for government, in terms half of the time they think we are super traditional owners managing country.” of social welfare and health that has been rangers, they think we are powerful Key Partner shown.” Key Partner enough to take on the world” Ranger, Nyul Nyul “My family and people in community, every day when I walk to work with EMPLOYMENT my uniform on they look at me and are Pretty hard to get job around here and seeing the application very supportive. I have got the whole on the board I really wanted it and wanted to be a ranger. community behind me. Seeing me as first young ranger at the age of 18 when Ranger, Bardi Jawi I first started. I felt really proud of “It is hard to have jobs around here If I didn’t have ranger program I would be at myself.” Ranger, Karajarri home with no income. Hanging off family, asking parents for money.” Ranger, Bardi Jawi “You can start from scratch and build something for yourself and get qualified even if you have nothing. You can make a better future for yourself and family.” Ranger, Karajarri “We see significant benefits for Aboriginal people through that employment [as rangers] and we also see the individuals who are employed really develop a skill set and confidence and being able to get out on country and undertake those land 4 management activities. From this we see a real benefit to the individuals.” Key Partner 16 LANDSCOPE EMPOWERING WOMEN Aboriginal women play an important role in strengthening social and family networks in the community. Traditionally the Indigenous ranger workforce has been male dominated. The Aboriginal Ranger Program focuses on employing women rangers to promote social
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