Dark Emu by 
Young Dark Emu by 
The Original Australians by 
Indigenous Australians rights of ownership and management have been recognised over nearly half of Australia and their knowledge systems connect them to their Country and cultures. As significant landowners, managers and custodians, Indigenous peoples are applying their knowledge s in caring for Country, generating many benefits. Indigenous peoples are learning from each about how to build on these successes.
Across First Nations communities in Australia are unique and distinct cultures that centre many different types of knowledges. These knowledges are often referred to as ‘knowledge systems’ and have ensured First Nations communities have lived in balance with the land, other communities and the natural environment for over 80,000 years.
June Barker, an Aborginal lady from north-western NSW, explains the importance of gilgais from an environmental and cultural point of view. She speaks of the principles of water health and the problems of accessing these areas now. She also describes the use of gypsum to clear muddy water. This documentary is one of nineteen that comprises the Through Our Eyes series features Aboriginal Elders and knowledge-holders from the Ngemba, Kamilaroi and Euahlayi language groups in north-western NSW (Brewarrina, Walgett and Lightning Ridge) describing the land management practices and social, spiritual and cultural knowledge that enabled their people to care for the country for tens of thousands of years.
Aboriginal peoples along the Murray--Darling rivers in South-Eastern Australia say their river is sick and their country is dying. Ngarrindjeri Elder, Major Sumner, brought people together to dance and heal the spirit of the river for the River Country Spirit Ceremony. Together they journey from Murra Murra to the Murray Mouth. Along the way they tell their stories about their river country.
The then only Aboriginal water unit in Australia 2012 to 2017 Cultural integrity, governance, pride, capacity, water literacy.
As part of the Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK) research program, we documented and quantified Aboriginal social and economic values of aquatic resources and identified their flow links in the first study of its kind in Australia. The research was conducted over three years (2008-2010) in two tropical river catchments—the Daly River in the Northern Territory and the Fitzroy River in Western Australia—where water planners needed information on Aboriginal people's water requirements.
The cultural heritage of the Wreck Bay Community is deeply embedded in the surrounding land and waters of Jervis Bay. The natural and social histories are intertwined and reflects on relationship between Wreck Bay people and the natural environment, from traditional times until the present day.
The beautiful mix of sandstone cliffs and gorges, open waterways, secluded bays and natural vegetation make the waterways in Hornsby Shire one of the most visually spectacular waterways in New South Wales, a popular site for a large number of recreational visitors each year. The area is also rich in Aboriginal and European history.
The First Nations peoples of the Murray–Daring Basin were never wanderers in an untouched natural wilderness. Rather, they have always taken an active role in environmental management, shaping and caring for the land that sustains them. This relationship is both practical and spiritual, born of a unique world view.
For the 60,000 years that Aboriginal peoples have lived in Australia, water has played a critical role—not just for survival in an often arid and harsh environment but also for its significance in Aboriginal culture and identity. Water helped in defining language boundaries and ceremonial places and also underpins many land management practices
First Nations people have been on Country for at least 50,000 years, an incredibly long time compared to almost all other cultures on earth. Indigenous culture has adapted to massive climate and environmental changes. With climate change steadily progressing to a tipping point, continued large-scale land clearing, recurring droughts, catastrophic bushfires and invasive pest species reducing Australia’s biodiversity and long-term prosperity, navigating our challenging future will require wider sources of knowledge to guide our strategies and environmental management practices
