People on Country, Healthy Landscapes and Indigenous Economic Futures

A CAEPR action-research project focusing on Indigenous well-being through community-based natural resource management

CAEPR is undertaking a 3-5 year applied research project focusing on Aboriginal land and sea management in the tropical savannah of Top End and Gulf Country of the Northern Territory. The research is called 'People on Country, Healthy Landscapes and Indigenous Economic Futures', and it is largely sponsored by the Sidney Myer Fund, but also by the Australian National University (ANU) and the Australian Research Council.

What the research is about

People on Country aims to transfer skills to land and sea management groups to address two major issues: how their activities are improving Indigenous well-being, and delivering better natural resource management on Aboriginal land and sea country. Working in partnership with traditional owners and their land and sea management groups, the research aims to strengthen Caring for Country projects by:

• Building partnerships, sharing skills, and capacity development especially in governance.
• Assisting key Aboriginal organisations and natural resource management agencies with evidence-based research.
• Using evidence-based research to better inform government policy on cultural and natural resource management on Aboriginal land and sea country and to attract more government and private investments in Caring for Country projects.
• Helping Aboriginal land and sea managers make their voice heard in national debates such as climate change, water, sea country, fire management, wildlife use and cultural and natural resource management.

What benefits could the research bring to Aboriginal land and sea managers?

The benefits from being involved in the research could include:

• Having evidence of how and why Caring for Country increases community well-being;
• Having evidence of the beneficial environmental efforts of caring for country;
• Being part of a strong voice speaking-up for Caring for Country;
• Informing government policy so that it recognises and helps traditional owners look after country;
• Help attract greater government and private investment into Caring for Country projects;
• Learning new skills and ways of doing things.

People On Country website

This website will serve as a source for research papers, videos and photographs relating to People on Country, and as a resource for the land and sea management groups involved in the project, providing them with a vehicle to speak to government policy makers about their land and sea management activities.