BAMOS
Jun 2020
18 Workshop report
Considerations for co‐design
Collaborating with First Nations peoples on climate change
Karen Pearce, Rowena Bullio, Damian Morgan‐Bulled, Bianca McNeair, Kelvin Flugge, Hilda Mosby, Gavin Singleton and
Mandy Hopkins
Contact: mandy.hopkins@csiro.au
Climate change is having a major impact on First Nations
peoples, their country and culture. Understanding of the
environment based on the observations and experience
of thousands of years of custodianship of country is being
challenged by recent human activities that are changing the
climate.
This wealth of knowledge can offer western science a new
window through which to understand past and current
changes to our climate and the impact of those changes. At
the same time, western science can offer Traditional Owners an
understanding of the mechanisms behind the changes and a
look into what the future holds.
While the benefits of bringing these two knowledge systems
together are obvious, the steps to do so are not so clear.
Although perhaps well‐intentioned, western researchers in the
past have not always properly considered Traditional Owners’
perspectives when working on country. Often, focus has been
on the research at hand rather than collaborating to deliver
mutual benefits and acknowledging the value of traditional
knowledge and its ownership.
Recognising this, the National Environmental Science Program
Earth Systems and Climate Change Hub convened a workshop
at AMOS 2020 to bring together Traditional Owners and
researchers to share experiences, expectations and advice
for successful collaboration. Through the lens of co‐design—
that is, including Traditional Owners in research inception,
development and delivery with a view to mutually useful and
useable research outputs—the following list of considerations
was identified. While far from comprehensive, the list offers a
starting point for researchers considering collaboration with
First Nations people.
Understand that there are many peoples, many cultures.
Australia’s First Nations people comprise many hundreds
of nation groups, each with their own culture, protocols,
knowledge and connections. It is important to ensure that the
Traditional Owners that you are engaging with are the right
ones to talk to about the country, community or culture of
interest. This is not only in consideration of nation group, but
also within that group who the appropriate person or people
to speak to are. Elders are recognised custodians of traditional
knowledge and protocols and should always be consulted.
Include Traditional Owners from the start (and all the way
through). If a research project affects Aboriginal interests on
country, Traditional Owners should be contacted and involved
as early in planning and developing the project as possible.
This involvement should not be tokenistic and should include
Traditional Owners in a meaningful and respectful way. Quite
rightly, Traditional Owners want to have input to and be kept up
to date on work that affects them and their country. This could
be as simple as making time for regular meetings or providing
regular updates, but in all cases, it should meet the needs of the
Traditional Owners as well as the researchers.
Build (and be prepared to maintain) trusted relationships.
Long before a proposal is drafted, it is important that everyone
gets to know, respect and trust each other. Trusted relationships
cannot be forced but have to develop over time. Trusted
relationships also extend over time—a one‐off engagement
is not a ‘relationship’. This interpersonal dimension is not
generally factored into research projects but is an essential
component of working with Traditional Owners. In this context,
as in life generally, building relationships can be complicated
and requires considerable effort. Relationships also do not
generally follow timelines and frameworks, unlike other aspects
of research projects, which may be challenging for researchers.
Appreciate different timelines. Building and maintaining
trusted relationships takes time, as does setting up common
ground for research activity. This almost never aligns with
project and funding schedules. Once the project is up and
running, deadlines that are important in the project context
have little meaning outside of it. Schedules need to be flexible
to accommodate time required for protocols and practices
outside of the research program.
Ensure free, prior and informed consent. Free, prior and
informed consent is a fundamental principle recognised in
the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples, among other international legal instruments. It
recognises that Indigenous peoples have the right to be part of
any decision‐making process that affects them or their country,
and that they can do so with no pressure or coercion (free),
with sufficient time before decisions are made (prior), and with
access to all available information (informed). Consent may be
given, withheld or negotiated, and can be withdrawn at any
time. A memorandum of understanding or research partnership