Natural hazards resilience and disaster risk reduction depend upon the recognition that First Nations peoples have been protecting the landscapes and communities that we all live, work, learn and conduct research on for tens of thousands of years.
As part of NAIDOC Week 2023, Natural Hazards Research Australia hosted an all-First Nations webinar on Thursday 6 July to hear directly from First Nations researchers and community experts that are contributing to some of the Centre’s First Nations natural hazard and cultural land management projects.
The webinar featured experts speaking about their work, the benefits of meaningful inclusion of First Nations peoples and the way that First Nations projects are building on the teachings of Elders – building on the theme of NAIDOC Week 2023: ‘For Our Elders’.
Speakers included Tammy Small, Manager for Indigenous Advancement at University of Wollongong, Oliver Costello, cultural land management research leader at Jagun Alliance and NHRA Board member, and Megan Considine, cultural natural resource management officer working with community to heal Country in Brungle-Tumut, NSW.
More than 170 attendees joined the webinar from many different First Nations Countries across Australia and New Zealand, as acknowledged throughout the event.
Chairing the webinar, Tammy Small reiterated the crucial role of First Nations people in research.
“We’re the most written about people in the world but not by our own voices,” Tammy said.
“I can’t imagine what our Elders would be thinking right now about how the work we’re doing is not only being led by our First Nations people, but voices of governance from First Nations people are also determining what the objectives and outcomes of research could and should be.”
The recording of the webinar can be watched on the Centre’s YouTube channel below.
Further resources are available here for those wanting to learn more about what was discussed at the webinar.