Saltwater People Network

Mary River NT 8 - 10 May 2012

An information booklet for the workshop is available for download. Download a copy of the Workshop Information Booklet (1.5Mb PDF)

Welcome to delegates

Indigenous people have been owners and custodians of the marine and terrestrial environments of Australia for millennia. Since colonisation, Indigenous Australians have articulated, fought and argued for their inherent rights and responsibilities regarding the continual management of their traditional lands and seas.

In recent  decades, Indigenous people have become increasingly engaged in, and leading the planning and implementation of practical caring for country activities, including through community planning exercises, the growth of  community based ranger programs and declarations of Indigenous Protected Areas. Against a backdrop of community action, recent legal determinations have demonstrated a progressive (albeit limited) recognition of Indigenous rights to sea country, including customary fishing rights, co-operative management agreements, and intertidal rights to control access. Together, these and many other developments offer opportunities for enhanced Indigenous livelihoods based on the use and management of sea country and sea resources for future generations of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

Much work remains to be done however and this National Indigenous Sea country Workshop  (Mary River Park, May 2012) provides an opportunity for Indigenous leaders from around Australia to gather and develop a shared vision for a way forward that is informed by practitioners on country.  Through presentations, facilitated discussions and focus and break out groups, delegates will explore and develop a nationally consistent policy and action plan for engaging and advancing the management (including protection, research and monitoring) of sea country by Indigenous Australians.

Indigenous Australians have travelled a long way in asserting their rights to own and manage their lands and seas and history shows that gatherings such as this sea country workshop have played pivotal roles in consolidating success and in identifying collective way forward for us to manage our country, our way.  Now is the time to work together to develop a sea country pathway, that reflects our views and aspirations.

Accordingly, we welcome all delegates to the 2012 National Indigenous Sea country Workshop and thank you for the knowledge, wisdom and insight you bring to the meeting.

Joe Morrison CEO, North Australian Land and Sea Management Alliance  Ltd   
Melissa George Chair, Indigenous Advisory Committee
 

Rod Kennett, Erica McCreedy and Micha Jackson from the Saltwater People Network team travelled to Arnhem Land to witness the historic opening of the new Dhimurru ranger base on Friday, 5 August. The opening was a very significant event for all involved and was a great opportunity to reflect on the journey and successes of the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation since its incorporation in 1992. After the opening, the team headed out to the Garma Festival where they shared a stall with the Dhimurru rangers and Yirralka rangers. The stall attracted a large number of visitors including the Jose Ramos Horta, the President of East Timor.

Throughout GARMA the SPN team conducted practical I-Tracker  demonstrations with the rangers, AQIS staff  and GARMA visitors.  A special highlight was an I-Tracker session with about 30 Yolngu young people from the Garma youth forum -  the rangers of the future perhaps.. The rangers did a fantastic job leading the session, talking about how they use I-Tracker, and translating for the kids.

Click here to read more about the I-Tracker Program.

 In June 2001, I-Tracker staff attended the Kimberley Land Council (KLC) Kimberley Ranger Forum at Middle Lagoon on the Dampier Peninsular, WA. The event was a great opportunity for Kimberley Ranger groups to come together and share their working on country experiences and stories. Various training activities were run during the forum, including an I-Tracker training workshop. It was a great change for groups to expand their skills and share their I-Tracker experiences.

Forum Delegates

The Saltwater People Network’s annual Planning and Feedback Forum was held at the Murraya Function Centre in Smithfield (near Cairns) from 1-3 March, 2011.

The Forum was held on Yirrganydji Country, which includes coastal land and sea country between the Barron River and Mowbray. Forum participants were welcomed by Yirrganydji Traditional Owners Gavin Singleton and Melanie Mitchell.

Indigenous land and sea management organisations from the Kimberley, Top End, Gulf Country and Cape York were represented by 30 participants. Also in attendance were guests from government, non-government and research organisations who were invited to hear Indigenous perspectives on land and sea management and share their knowledge.

The Queensland setting provided the opportunity for land and sea managers from the southern Gulf and Cape York to highlight regional issues.

The Forum reviewed the achievements of SPN over the last 12 months, including significant growth in the I-Tracker project as well as increasing skill levels in the use of CyberTracker software and data management. Participants discussed future developments in I-Tracker including supporting NAILMSA’s plans to develop applications to support land-based surveys and patrols and broaden the range of environmental and cultural data collected through I-Tracker.

Rangers and community participants endorsed the value of sharing their environmental data to improve management of species and habitats across north Australia, as well as to demonstrate to government, funding bodies and other stakeholders the value of the monitoring work being done Indigenous rangers. Participants agreed that the Intellectual property of the data owners’ needed to be protected and endorsed NAILSMA’s approach in developing legally robust data sharing protocols.

Participants at the forum discussed and endorsed the SPN Strategic Plan, which was developed by the SPN team in collaboration with the Regional Facilitators from NAILSMA member and partner organisations. The Strategic Plan is a guiding document to assist NAILSMA members, partners and project participants to prioritise project activities, assess progress, and communicate project goals, activities and achievements.

A highlight for participants was the opportunity to meet with fellow Indigenous land and sea managers from across north Australia to network and build on ties established at the inaugural SPN planning Forum held in the Northern Territory in 2010.

Many of the groups represented at the forum can be seen on NAILSMA’s Saltwater Country Manager’s map. The map shows locations and provides details of Indigenous land and sea management groups from across north Australia. If your organisation is not included on the map or if your organisation has not yet provided details for the map but would like to, please contact Billee McGinley, I-Tracker Development Officer.

Participants have their say about the Forum

“I came hungry for knowledge and ideas, and I leave full and satisfied.”
Chris Dean, Lockhart River

To hear what the other participants had to say, view the story report below.