Indigenous intercultural governance and adaptation

Full text

ABSTRACT
Current research highlights the contribution of Indigenous knowledge
to climate change monitoring and observation, the role of community
organisations in developing adaptive capacity, environmental justice
and regimes for the participation of Indigenous people in abatement
and climate change economies (Cameron 2012, Green 2009 and
Leonard et al. 2013). The way in which Indigenous people exercise
decision-making between Indigenous organisations, and more
broadly, is rarely situated in the context of adaptation governance.
This poster reports on research into the challenging intra-Indigenous
and intercultural governance for successful participation in
adaptation decision making in two remote Aboriginal communities. It
focuses specifically on the role of recognised native title holders who
have legally determined rights and interests to their traditional
territories.
METHODS
AIATSIS carried out an 18-month project on the social-
institutional barriers to the role of native title holders in climate
change adaptation decision making, with two case study
partners: the Karajarri Traditional Lands Association RNTBC
based in Bidyadanga located in the East Kimberley, and Abm
Elgoring Ambung RNTBC based in Kowanyama located in the
Gulf of Carpentaria.
FINDINGS
1. RNTBC caring for country priorities, governance and community
development are consistent with climate change adaptation
priorities, yet the lack of development of RNTBC priorities, such
as through land use planning, is a significant barrier to
Indigenous participation in adaptation activities.
2. The retrospective recognition of native title has supported
traditional owner authority in land use and natural resource
management and decision making, whilst simultaneously
creating the institutional marginalisation of RNTBCs as a ‘new’
governance sector.
3. Governance arrangements need to be renegotiated within
Indigenous communities, especially where RNTBCs are
perceived to displace previous decision-making processes,
causing inconsistencies, tension, and confusion over roles and
responsibilities.
4. The imperative for a long term approach is driven by the
communal and binding nature of decision making over native
title lands as well as the intergenerational consequences of
climate change.
5. There has been a lack of respect for the plans and priorities
developed by RNTBCs and local communities, coupled with ad
hoc and at times divergent development proposals, undermining
agreed upon decisions and decision-making processes, and
affecting sustainable land use planning outcomes that are central
to climate adaptation.
6. The former community councils system, has been slowly
replaced by mainstream structures that impose new forms of
accountability or remove accountability to a broader regional
constituency. The regionalisation of planning and local
government risks the under-representation of the unique needs
and priorities of remote Aboriginal communities. The
involvement of RNTBCs in planning and decision-making
processes can play a part in mitigating this risk.
7. Funding preferences created by different regimes to support
different Indigenous forms of governance can place Indigenous
community/shire councils in competition with RNTBCs, often
with an outcome that draws resources away from RNTBCs.
8. The design of decision-making structures needs to reflect the
cultural legitimacy and representative role of RNTBCs and, at the
same time, have this reflected in the distribution of resources.
9. Integrated planning consistent with native title holders’ holistic
and intergenerational perspective on country holds the greatest
potential for RNTBCs to play an effective enabling role in climate
change adaptation.
How do traditional owners, who have had
determinations of native title on their
country, make decisions about the
management of their land and waters?
How do we help them to better respond
to the impacts of climate change?
Native title now comprises 20 per cent of
the Australian continent with over 440
claims remaining to be resolved. These
lands are managed by over 100 Indigenous
organisations known as Registered Native
Title Bodies Corporate (RNTBCs).
We’ve noticed already, along our coast, other
things, it affects our culture, and protecting
significant sites along our coastline, our
Dreaming sites...
Joe Edgar, Karajarri Traditional
Lands Association Chair
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This work was carried out with financial support from the Australian Government (Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency) and the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility. The authors acknowledge the support
of the case study partners the Karajarri Traditional Lands Association Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC and Abm Elgoring Ambung Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC. We also thank our research partners the Nulungu Research Institute from the
University of Notre Dame, the Kimberley Land Council, and the Kowanyama Land and Natural Resource Management Office and the University of Melbourne for their assistance.
Tran Tran
Indigenous Country and
Governance Researcher
AIATSIS
Lawson Crescent Acton
Peninsula, Acton ACT 2601
(02) 6246 1181
Tran.Tran@aiatsis.gov.au
Jessica Weir
Bushfire CRC Senior
Research Fellow
University of Canberra
University Drive South,
ACT 2601
(02) 6201 2633
Jessica.weir@canberra.edu
Anna Dwyer
Researcher
Nulungu Research Institute
University of Notre Dame
88 Guy St Broome WA 6725
(08) 9192 0641
anna.dwyer@nd.ed.au
http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/research/lw/Adaptation.html
BACKGROUND
Native title has changed the way in which Indigenous people are
engaged in land and water management. Under the Native Title
Act, native title holders are now formally involved in land and
water management through their Registered Native Title Bodies
Corporates (RNTBCs), which manage their native title rights and
interests. RNTBCs such as the Karajarri Traditional Lands
Association (KTLA) and Abm Elgoring Ambung are in a strong
position to contribute to climate change adaptation because of
their unique knowledges and experience; native title and other
land holdings; and responsibilities under legislation (Weir 2011;
Tran et al. 2013).
The KTLA and Abm Elgoring Ambung are already participating in
climate change adaption roles, including being involved in town
planning, water planning, coastal erosion monitoring, feral/animal
eradication and cultural mapping. However the effectiveness of
these roles is greatly influenced by the distinct lack of partnerships
that are needed to address the broader context of Indigenous
socio-political marginalisation, a result of successive policy
interventions impacting on Indigenous autonomy over their
traditional lands (Rowse 2012).
Indigenous peoples’ engagement in the decision making structures
that facilitate climate change adaptation, requires greater
understanding and action that is responsive to their authority,
knowledge, rights, interests and responsibilities. We have focused
on native title lands, but many of our findings have relevance for
other Indigenous land holdings, including extensive land rights and
conservation lands, and Indigenous involvement in climate change
adaptation more generally.
For traditional owners, climate change
adaptation involves developing strategies
to engage with and implement their
holistic attitudes towards community and
Country and wellbeing.
REFERENCES
Cameron, ES 2012, 'Securing Indigenous politics: A critique of the vulnerability and
adaptation approach to the human dimensions of climate change in the Canadian
Arctic', Global Environmental Change, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 103-14.
Green, D, Jackson, S & Morrison, J 2009, Risks from Climate Change to Indigenous
Communities in the Tropical North of Australia, for the Commonwealth Department of
Climate Change, the Western Australian Department of the Environment and
Conservation and the Northern Territory Department of Natural Resources, 2009.
Leonard, S, Parsons, M, Olawsky, K & Kofod, F 2013, 'The role of culture and traditional
knowledge in climate change adaptation: Insights from East Kimberley, Australia', Global
Environmental Change, vol. 23, pp. 623-32.
Tran, T, Strelein, L, Weir, J, Stacey, C & Dwyer A 2013, Changes to Country and Culture,
Changes to Climate: strengthening institutions for Indigenous resilience and adaptation,
National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast.
Rowse, T, 2012, Rethinking Social Justice: from 'Peoples' to 'Populations', Aboriginal
Studies Press, Canberra.
Weir, JK 2011, Karajarri: a West Kimberley experience in managing native title, Research
Discussion Paper 30, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies,
Canberra.