Background Information

The 2004-2007 Northern Territory Regional Investment Strategy (June 2005) reserved an allocation of $2.8 million for investment in Indigenous Ecological Knowledge.
 
This program develops a range of projects to support the conservation of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge.  Projects include country visits, collation and storage of records and incorporation of indigenous knowledge into management programs.

The program also invests in an 'Indigenous Knowledge Support Plan' and strategies for information dissemination.

With current trends indicating a loss of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge between generations this program has the potential to reduce this trend and provide Indigenous people with a system for the collation, storage and dissemination of information.
This has great benefits for the Territory as Indigenous Ecological Knowledge incorporates important information regarding NRM and linkages to country that inspire caring for country activities.

The cost of not doing this program could result in further expenses in NRM training and on-ground works within remote communities.

The IEK program provides a timely and responsive mechanism for supporting the conservation of IEK held by Aboriginal people across the Territory.

A Scoping Study and Support Plan (NAILSMA, June 2006) were commissioned, to help set the stage for the IEK investment by identifying general principles, priorities for investment, and recommendations for stakeholder partnerships.
Link to IEK Scoping Study
Link to IEK Support Plan

The NAILSMA findings have been combined with input from NRMB (NT) Directors through the IEK Subcommittee to create this document, the Program Implementation Plan for IEK (PIP-IEK April 2008).
Link to: NRMB Program Implementation Plan -IEK

To support successful project delivery, the NRMB (NT) adapted a set of interim protocols to be used during the course of the Program.
Link to: Interim Intellectual Property Protocols

What is ‘IEK’?

‘Indigenous Ecological Knowledge’ can be described in a traditional sense as an ancient and intricate body of knowledge of the environment that provided (and continues to provide) the basis for this country’s first people to survive for countless generations in the Australian landscape. In the more contemporary setting IEK has added significance as an adaptable living process with considerable relevance for a changing environment. It is not knowledge that has remained bound up in the past, but an evolving accumulation of acute and patient observations of the natural world built upon what has been passed forward from one generation to another within a living cultural landscape of deep spiritual significance to Aboriginal people.’

The NRMB (NT) IEK Program contains three separate program briefs.  Each brief specifies a different focus for projects and activities.  These are as follows:

 

Increased and on-going application of Indigenous Ecological Knowledge to land and sea resources under Indigenous management, and where appropriate, under other tenure/management.

1A. PILOT PROJECTS
Pilot projects aim to incorporate IEK into mainstream NRM activities to reinforce with relevant agencies and institutions the value of IEK in the management of land and sea resources in the NT.

CURRENT IEK PILOT PROJECTS-NT WIDE:

1B. INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSFER OF IEK
The most important element of the program and also the most heavily funded is the intergenerational transfer of knowledge from members of older generations to younger people to be carried out orally and on site, as is customary.
The Intergenerational Transfer portion of the program is being delivered by program partners located in the northern and southern regions of the NT.

North: North Australian Land & Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) www.nailsma.org.au

South:  Central Land Council (CLC)
www.clc.org.au

Australian National University – National Centre for Indigenous Studies was awarded contract to develop guiding principles, practical advice and a clear statement of the rights and obligations of NRM practitioners in respect of Indigenous Intellectual Property Rights in a Northern Territory context.
Resource materials produced from consultancy: 

1. Guiding principles and appropriate disciplines for establishment of best practice archive and repatriation activity.

2. Practical guidance manual for IEK/NRM practitioners.

3. Report detailing current status of indigenous IP legislation and practices in Australia

Consultancy Terms of Reference:
Review and analysis of current indigenous IP documentation, legislation, administrative frameworks, research and practice.

Analysis of any required legislation, research and capacity needed to protect indigenous IP.

Identify challenges and barriers to the development of IP policy and prepare practical guidelines.

Identify existing institutional and human resource capacity to support indigenous IP.

Identify areas where additional resources and capacity are needed to support IEK/NRM practitioners

Determine the capacity and will of government and institutions to enforce protection of indigenous IP.

Ensure that due respect is paid to international agreements and overseas protocols in the development of consistent policies and guidelines.

Link to ICIP Documents:

Indigenous Ecological Knowledge & Natural Resources in the Northern Territory: Report on the Current Status of Indigenous Intellectual Property

Indigenous Ecological Knowledge & Natural Resources in the Northern Territory: Guidelines for Indigenous Ecological Knowledge Management (Including Archiving & Repatriation)

Maintain & Strengthen Your Culture: Handbook for Working with Indigenous Ecological Knowledge & Intellectual Property

To trial and develop a framework for the long-term archiving and repatriation of IEK that has either been removed from its original Indigenous holders or is not currently available to support contemporary NRM activities.

The Board has also identified the need for the following tasks to be undertaken to assist in developing this framework and establish a broader understanding of the magnitude of the overall repatriation task:

Activities:

1. On-line Archive and Repatriation forum – to provide a means on the NRMB website for cost-effective and robust discussion at an early stage about repatriation issues and an opportunity for voluntary identification or disclosure of IEK materials recorded in the NT by institutions and individuals.

LINK to on-line forum yet to be established

 2. Discussion Paper–a discussion paper will be prepared to stimulate debate on the value of existing IEK materials to NRM, procedures for repatriation of these materials to source communities and models of community-based storage. This paper is to be prepared by a consultant and posted on the internet to encourage feed back from experts and interested individuals through the on-line forum above.

3. Forum on repatriation process and models of community-based archiving) –a 2 day forum (max.) be held to which local, national and international Indigenous and non-Indigenous experts will be invited. Presentations, discussions and workshops will occur on repatriation, storage models, cultural protocols, IP and information ownership. (currently planned to be held May 2010.  Exact date and location yet to be announced)

4. Pilot Projects
1 to 2 small-scale pilot IEK repatriation projects funded in each of the Top End and Desert regions as a basis for developing Board and staff capacity in IEK repatriation.
Projects will be identified by the IEK TAP in collaboration the IEK Project Officers and direct approaches made to suitable groups/communities. The suitability of these pilot projects will be determined by:

The extent to which they encompass all the stages of repatriation envisaged, including but not limited to: identification and location of IEK; traditional owner/community ‘source’ consultations; negotiating access to materials, identifying appropriate storage and conservation measures, physical repatriation, storage and archiving of material, protocols for application to intergenerational transfer and NRM;

The extent to which a body of IEK stored in institutions/private collections has been identified and the relevant indigenous group/community wish to see this knowledge repatriated;

The existing capacity of the group/community for community-based IEK storage, such as Cultural Centres, Knowledge Centres etc.

An assessment of the extent that repatriation of IEK materials is likely to influence cultural revivification and stimulate NRM interest.

IEK Program Coordinator:
NRMB (NT):  Karman Lippitt
Phone:  (08) 8999 4156
Email:  karman.lippitt@nrmbnt.org.au

 IEK Support Officers:

CLC:  Nikki Brannigan
Phone:  (08) 8950 5005
Email:  Nikki.Brannigan@clc.org.au

NAILSMA:   David Wise 
Phone: (08) 8946 7674 
Email:  David.Wise@cdu.edu.au

NRMB (NT) IEK Sub-Committee Members :
 
David Alexander
Manager of Land Management Unit
Central Land Council

Kate Andrews
NRMB (NT) Chair

Joe Morrison
Executive Officer
North Australian Indigenous Land & Sea Management Alliance