Abstract Type: Presentation as part of an organized session
Abstract TitlePlace and context matters: Accounting for First Nations cultural connections to Country
Presented in session:
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Abstract
The UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting—Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA) provides a standardized spatially based system that makes visible the contribution of nature to the economy and to people for use in economic and environmental decision making. SEEA EA captures information regarding ecosystem extent and condition, and the flow of ecosystem services to users. Since the release of SEEA EA in 2021 it is becoming increasingly acknowledged that recognizing and accounting for the perspectives and worldviews of First Nations peoples within this framework is an important and non-trivial task. We partnered with a number of Australian First Nations groups with traditional Country encompassing different habitats of the Great Barrier Reef, including coastal catchments, islands, open water and coral reefs. Separate workshops were held with each group to explore their conceptual models of connections to sea Country, seeking to improve understanding around how well these align with the western science ecosystem services perspectives underpinning SEEA EA. Participants from each group shared their thoughts and stories about the different uses that they make of resources from their Country, and the various activities that take place on Country. Notable contextual differences between the groups emerged from discussions including: distance from and ease of access to Country; operation of an Indigenous Rangers program; and Native Title determination. We contrast and compare each group’s mental models of their connections to Country with the SEEA EA framework, demonstrating substantial differences, and make recommendations for how these perspectives can be reported within and/or alongside the SEEA accounts. Our work highlights the important role of context, indicating the need for partnering with First Nations groups when attempting to account for the people-nature connections on traditional Country, rather than seeking to adopt a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Related Conference Topic Area
Indigenous knowledge
Manager Session?
Presenter Information
First Name Diane |
Last Name Jarvis |
Affiliation James Cook University |
Author(s) Information
Author | First Name | Last Name | Affiliation |
1 | Diane | Jarvis | James Cook University |
2 | Victoria | Graham | James Cook University |
3 | Anthea | Coggan | CSIRO Environment |
4 | Jeremy | De Valck | C Q University |
5 | Petina | Pert | CSIRO Environment |