Traditional Owners living and working on their ancestral lands
Indigenous peoples in very remote locations across Australia are leading national conservation efforts on Indigenous land. In the Northern Territory alone, three quarters of Indigenous peoples are living in areas classified as remote or very remote. Ranger bases are scattered across such communities, acting as hubs of activity for species conservation, fire management and the continuation of cultural knowledge.In the communities where we work, the health of people and place is inextricably linked. Empty or ‘orphaned’ Country is considered one of the biggest threats to conservation efforts and the continuation of Indigenous culture. When Country is populated and actively managed, there are far-reaching benefits for the environment, culture and people.
Despite ambitions to unite diaspora with their Country, living and working in Arnhem Land comes with a unique set of challenges. The terrain is rough, with vast tracts of land covered by rocky outcrops and gorges with rivers in between. Infrastructure is limited, sealed roads are very rare and even reliable dirt roads are few and far between and require constant maintenance. The environmental conditions are highly variable, with up to six months of wet season per year where ephemeral rivers rise and cut off road access in times of intense humidity and heat—further compounded by our changing climate. Services such as food stores, medical care and maintenance are only accessible by a long drive in the dry season or otherwise by charter flight, and phone coverage is limited.
