- This event has passed.
Indigenous Knowledge in Environmental Decision-Making
November 30, 2020 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm AEDT
Free – $20.00
Speakers inlcude:
Dr Judith Preston – Dr Preston is a lawyer in New South Wales and recently wrote a thesis which considered the question of how Indigenous knowledge can be more effectively integrated into Australian environmental decision- making to achieve both beneficial outcomes for environmental protection as well as Aboriginal self-determination. Judith commenced work in 1982 with the Northern Land Council (NLC) primarily representing Aboriginal Traditional Owners in land claims in the Northern Territory and related to other legal needs of Aboriginal communities in the NLC jurisdiction. She was instrumental in establishing the first public interest environmental law centre, the Environmental Defender’s Office. She has since worked in a number of leading legal practices and teaches at Macquarie University.
Phil Duncan – Phil Duncan is from Moree New South Wales and is a member of the Gomeroi Nation and an elected representative of the Gomeroi Nation Native Title Claimant Group. His homelands are Moree and Terry Hie Hie. Phil is experienced in working and collaborating with Aboriginal people and government to improve the lives of Aboriginal people through recognition of rich Aboriginal cultural history, the return of Aboriginal lands and the improvement of First Nation living conditions. Phil has made significant contributions in a variety of domains from education and organisational reconciliation action through to areas of focus such as cultural heritage, natural resource management, freshwater river management, forestry, native fish, water rights and allocations.
Professor Donna Craig – Donna Craig is a specialist in international, comparative and national environmental law and policy at Western Sydney University. She was one of the earliest academics to specialise in environmental law (from 1976) and has researched and taught across a wide range of environmental law areas and jurisdictions. She has also made significant research and teaching contributions in aspects of Biodiversity Law (relating to the recognition of knowledge and practices of Indigenous and local communities, intellectual and cultural property rights, recognition of customary laws and community based environmental management), participatory approaches to environmental decision-making, environmental impact assessment and social impact assessment. Donna has over 40 years’ experience in environmental law research, legal practice, teaching and working with communities, NGO’s, environmental organisations, governments and corporations.
Taylor Clarke – Taylor Clarke is a Gundungurra woman from Warragamba. Her people are the Bidjiwong (Water Dragon) people of Burragorang Valley. Taylor is an activist and conservationist, working to protect her Country in the Burragorang Valley. Working as a consultant on issues regarding Indigenous culture, conservation, sustainability, land use and development with local councils and governments, Taylor champions the ‘Give a Dam’ campaign to stop the raising of Warragamba Dam wall. Taylor is a story-teller and travels across Australia sharing the history of her people. Her hope for the future is to foster a more connected relationship with Indigenous environment groups internationally as so many are facing the same issues.”We do not own the land; the land owns us. We come from Mother Earth. Yadungee, garra-bee-anga-yinga- go.”
