The Our Knowledge, Our Way Guidelines[Link will open in a new window] showcase innovative ways in which Indigenous Australians are working with, and strengthening, their knowledge to build sustainable futures through their stewardship of land, water and sea Country.
The Guidelines are based on 23 Australian case studies, submitted by Indigenous Australians and their representative bodies, that show how Our Knowledge Our Way in caring for Country can be supported. They are the result of the work of more than 100 Indigenous authors.
Our Knowledge, Our Way gives a voice to Indigenous land and sea management practitioners who have found good ways to strengthen their knowledge and build partnerships for knowledge sharing in caring for Country.
The Guidelines were created through a project of the Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub, through the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program.
How have the Guidelines been used?
Since they were launched at an online event in July 2020, the Guidelines have been praised by community groups, government, and industry[Link will open in a new window].
Staff at the Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation hailed the Guidelines as “an exemplar for Aboriginal-led partnerships for science and planning in Australia”.
Bronte Grant, Environmental Officer for the Department, said Our Knowledge, Our Way was a key supporting resource for the creation of the Bring Together Walk Together Aboriginal Partnership Engagement Framework.
“The guidelines are supported by the learnings of many Aboriginal-led scientific projects across Australia, and the case studies provide an evidence-based approach for the principles communicated in Our Knowledge, Our Way,” Ms Grant said.
“The guidelines speak in an appropriate way to respect and preserve cultural knowledge, are written in plain English that reaches all users, and the guidelines have wide application for all sectors.
“Our Knowledge, Our Way has had, and will continue to have, positive and meaningful impact for Aboriginal-led science and planning in Australia.”
The Guidelines are also providing practical use for industry groups.
Professor Stephen van Leeuwen, a respected Wardandi Noongar leader who is also the Chair of Biodiversity and Environmental Science at Curtin University, said the diversity and application of Indigenous Knowledge and science is generally not well understood by non-Indigenous peoples (and potential partners of Indigenous peoples) including government, industry, researchers and non-governmental organisations.
However, he said Our Knowledge, Our Way was helping to change this.
“Indigenous knowledge and science are locally held and embedded in local governance arrangements that dictate who can share knowledge with whom, and for what purposes,” Professor van Leeuwin said.
“Custodians of Indigenous knowledge also have their own protocols that guide sharing. These arrangements can sometimes prove challenging to understand and negotiate when outsiders seek to partner with Indigenous Australians and their communities in land, water and sea management and related enterprise development."
“The Our Knowledge, Our Way Guidelines clearly and comprehensively articulate, from diverse Indigenous perspectives, best practice approaches to partnering with Indigenous Australians and their knowledge. This is a critical tool for guiding better engagement with Indigenous science and the practice of land, water and sea management.”
Professor van Leeuwin said Our Knowledge, Our Way was already providing practical use.
“The Guidelines have been recommended to numerous resource companies and development proponents, and I am aware that in some instances the Guidelines are being adapted for use in the operational practices of these companies,” he said.
“In the case of a Pilbara mining company the Guidelines are being used to help reposition how the company engages with its Traditional Owner stakeholders and improve the cultural awareness competency of its staff. The Guidelines are being used to help companies and proponents build their social licence to operate capital with the community too.
“The Guidelines have also become important in educating potential industry partners in respect to building their understanding of what Indigenous communities can offer and deliver into a genuine engagement and participation process.”
Professor van Leeuwin said Our Knowledge, Our Way was already providing practical use.
“The Guidelines have been recommended to numerous resource companies and development proponents, and I am aware that in some instances the Guidelines are being adapted for use in the operational practices of these companies,” he said.
“In the case of a Pilbara mining company the Guidelines are being used to help reposition how the company engages with its Traditional Owner stakeholders and improve the cultural awareness competency of its staff. The Guidelines are being used to help companies and proponents build their social licence to operate capital with the community too.
“The Guidelines have also become important in educating potential industry partners in respect to building their understanding of what Indigenous communities can offer and deliver into a genuine engagement and participation process.”
What's next for the Guidelines?
As of July 2022, the webpage for Our Knowledge, Our Way[Link will open in a new window] has been visited a whopping 14,200 times; the webpage hosting the downloadable resources visited 9500 times; the showcase film[Link will open in a new window] watched more than 6660 times, and the recording of the launch event[Link will open in a new window] has had 700 views.
Dr Emma Woodward, research scientist at CSIRO, said Our Knowledge, Our Way was a reminder of the importance of relationships, respect and understanding.
“We need to take the time to listen and show respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ knowledge, culture and Country, and be led by their knowledge,” Dr Woodward said.
“We have much to learn from Indigenous peoples and so much more to achieve by working together.
“The development of the Guidelines took a huge collaborative effort over a number of years… as the stories came in, and the number of contributors went up, a sense of excitement grew – that we were part of something that might really deliver change.”
Torres Webb,[Link will open in a new window] is a Zenadth Kes Le (Torres Strait Islander) from Erub (Darnley Island) and a CSIRO Cultural Capability Advisor. He said the impact of Our Knowledge, Our Way would only continue to grow in years to come.
“The guidelines are invaluable in supporting my work with scientists and others,” Mr Webb said. “They showcase best and promising practices in working together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities, especially how we move forward on journey towards Indigenous-led science, excellence and innovation.”