Indigenous Land Management

TERN panel sessionMr Dean Yibarbuk

Melbourne, 30 March 2011 1

Summary

• A bit about me• My responses– What Indigenous people

contribute– Can we make things

work better?– Is TERN able to help?– Can we work together?

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About me• Traditional Owner of Djinkarr, near Maningrida

Northern Territory (NT)• Senior Ranger - Bininj Fire Ecologist• Founder of the Djelk Rangers• A founding member of the Aboriginal Research

Practitioners’ Network (ARPnet) hosted by Charles Darwin University (CDU)

• Wardekken Land Management Limited Board of Directors

• Indigenous Protected Area Committee Member

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What Indigenous people contribute

• Our skills and knowledge – living on country all the time

• People – working together on country with other neighbouring groups

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Can we make things work better?

• Other collaborative work – more opportunities• Host organisations are sometimes under resourced

which are supporting Indigenous land management activities

• Indigenous engagement needs to be supported fully through various departments

• Realise not all Indigenous people get benefit from major funding (unequal distribution of funded Indigenous land management activities across the top end, NT)

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Is TERN able to help?

• Build trust• Strengthen capacity on the ground• Resources on the ground to store information

locally• Operate under cultural and natural and

spiritual requirements

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Can we work together

• Mentorship– Trust is key– Regular interactions

• Capacity building at various levels– Balanda working right way with Bininj

• Setting up opportunities for our younger people• Recognition and acknowledgment– Doing things Bininj way

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Thanks• TERN• CDU & ARPnet• Dr Bev Sithole

Photo credits• CDU & ARPnet• North Australia Indigenous Land & Sea Management

Alliance

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