We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians, the First Peoples of Australia, whose sovereignty was never ceded. We acknowledge the many Countries, cultures and knowledge which guide us today in fighting climate change. We pay our sincerest respects to all Elders, past, present, and the emerging future.
We honour the deep knowledge and connection to Country that First Nations people have maintained for over 60,000 years. At Climate for Change, we recognise that meaningful climate action must include respectful partnerships with Indigenous communities.
Connection to Country
First Nations for at least 60,000 years have lived and practised ecological, cultural, and spiritual kinship between the people and Country.
The dispossession of First Nations led by the British colonisers of the late 1700s disrupted Land and Sea management, bringing displacement and suppression to local knowledge, perspectives and approaches. In fact, the imposition of Non-Indigenous Settler practices, like deforestation and natural resources extraction, is the root of the environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity we see today.
What is Country?
Rather than asking “what is Country?”, a more appropriate question is “who is Country?” Sara Kianga Judge, a Neurodiverse Yuin woman born in Burramattagal Country, describes Country as “all plants, animals, ecosystems and humans – [...] alive with collective agency.” Country encompasses everything that makes life happen.*
The connection between people and Land is based on mutual respect and reciprocity. The capitalisation seen in Country, Land, Sea and Sky informs us of their agency, and lends the much-deserved respect for the relationship between Country and First Peoples.
*The meaning of Country can vary across the rich and diverse First Nations groups, but they commonly share similar ideas of being alive, timeless, and one.
Caring for Country
Caring for Country is a cultural obligation that First Nations undertake with a deep sense of honour, responsibility, ownership and stewardship. Caring for Country ensures the continual care for the health of Country’s interconnected systems and draws on Ancestral customs, knowledge and lore. By fulfilling the obligation to care for Country, Country will care for us all.
Between 2015 and 2016, 25% of threatened animals were subject to conservation efforts by First Nations groups in remote areas of western and northern Australia.
Reclaiming Country and Agency
The devastating fires of 2019-20 have been a flash point in recognising First Nations Land knowledge and practices. Since then, Cultural Fire – using fire to fight fire has risen from the ashes. Cultural Fire practices serve many purposes: clearing pathways, regeneration of foods and flora, ceremonial and gendered uses, and reducing fuel loads. This requires locally specific knowledge and skills, which can only be achieved with a strong connection and Care for Country. We recommend checking out Firesticks to learn more.
While recognition of First Nations Land management practices is invaluable for combating the impacts of climate change, it is essential not to misappropriate the shared authority and management among First Nations communities. The right to self-determination of Indigenous peoples helps them remain connected to Country, as their Ancestors had, and keeps alive deep-time knowledge and culture.
Given the rich diversity and geographical spread of First Peoples, modes of responding to climate change are inherently place-based. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. In other words, initiatives supporting the autonomy of First Nations in applying their knowledge of Country achieve greater agency and forge collective action between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous peoples in addressing climate change.
In the meantime, First Nations are at the most risk from threats of climate change, which places a disproportionate amount of burden on Indigenous communities to tackle climate change. This further calls for meaningful reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous peoples – a reconciliation honouring and upholding First Nations governance, Land rights and sovereignty.
👇How YOU can Support!
1. Supercharge your support today by empowering First Nations communities and their fight for climate justice:
- Fight for First Nations Justice
- Take the Pledge to Stop Fracking in the Northern Territory & Stand with Traditional Owners Against Fracking
- Help Protect the Torres Strait
- Aboriginal Carbon Foundation
- First Nations Clean Energy Network
- Raise the Age of Criminal Responsibility
- Subscribe to Monthly Newsletters
2. Continue your support for First Nations-owned businesses:
and for more refer to the Supply Nation directory
3. Further, visit your local museums and libraries, which host collections of First Australian voices and histories:
- Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre (Naarm / Melbourne)
- Australian Museum (Gadigal / Sydney)
- WA Museum Boola Bardip (Boorloo / Perth)
- National Library of Australia (Ngambri / Canberra)
- Tandanya National Aborignal Cultural Institute (Tarndanya / Adelaide)
Strengthening our Shared Path to Climate Justice
Non-Indigenous Australians can make space and leverage their platforms to amplify First Nations voices. In this way, First Peoples can reclaim ownership and preserve their cultural legacy in Connection to and Caring for Country.
We cannot fight climate change without First Nations justice.
At Climate for Change, we're committed to walking alongside Indigenous communities with respect and humility. Your support helps us better align our work with this understanding and create more effective climate action through respectful collaboration.