Teacher Content Information

Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that these lessons may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.

Before teaching any of these lessons, it is essential to note that the contents of each lesson are not necessarily a representation of the knowledges and practices of all of the hundreds of Indigenous groups across Australia; that's like asking a French person to speak on behalf of Italians because they're both from Europe! Instead, what you will find in these lessons are illustrations of the practices of the specific Indigenous Peoples named in the lesson. With this in mind, Cool highly recommends reaching out to the Elders of your local area to seek their knowledge of the topic or, better yet, invite them to speak to your class! For more information on contacting your local community, click here.

Indigenous Australians and the impact of climate change

This lesson could be considered as an introductory lesson to the concept of identification of variables impacting ecologies and the use of the idea generation tool of concept mapping.

When looking at climate change and its influence on ecologies, most countries, including Australia, look at the impact of the industrial revolution. Indigenous Australians have been experiencing, observing and adapting to changing ecologies for millennia. This lesson explores five key elements and develops one key skill (mind mapping):

Indigenous Australians’ experience of climate change
Indigenous Australians’ relationship to ecologies
Indigenous understandings of water ecology in Central Australia
How Indigenous Knowledge can influence contemporary Western Science
New methods of fire management to generate carbon credits in the Torres Strait
Exploration of other ecologies in which Indigenous Australians have knowledge
Mind mapping is an excellent tool for exploring relationships between variables. Students will develop prototypes of mind maps to demonstrate an understanding of water and fire ecologies.

Mind Mapping

One tool that does show the relationships between ideas is mind mapping. Use this tool to scaffold students' development in linking the concepts on a micro and macro level in this lesson. A mind map is a visual device that demonstrates the relative importance of individual points and the ways in which these points relate to each other. This lesson clearly integrates Indigenous Knowledge and Western science and offers students an understanding of climate ecologies in their own context, which can benefit from this approach.

Additional background information for this lesson

Throughout this lesson, there are many questions posed to students. Below, you'll find additional information to support informed conversations with students. We've separated the additional information by lesson sections.

Tune In

Scientists have confirmed that volcanic activity at Budj Bim in Victoria occurred about 36,900 years ago. Human habitation in the area was established within a range of 30,000–57,000 years ago by carbon-14 dating of charcoal and optically stimulated luminescence dating of quartz grains in rock shelters, but datable evidence of habitation is difficult to find. A single stone artefact known as the “Bushfield Axe” was discovered in the 1940s within finely layered volcanic ash east of Tower Hill, indicating eruptions occurred after aboriginal tribes had migrated to the area.

In 2019, argon-40/argon-39 dating of volcanic rocks in the area provided ages of eruptions in the area: 36,900 ±3,100 years for the Budj Bim Volcanic Complex and 36,800 ±3,800 years for the nearby Tower Hill Volcanic Complex, where the Bushfield Axe was found. ′ These findings corroborate that humans who used tools could have witnessed eruptions of volcanoes such as those represented in the creation story of the Gunditjmara nation. At 36,900 years, this story is the longest surviving tale of a geological event—more than five times older than the 7000-year-old legends about sea level change that exist in several cultures. ′

The above information can be found in this document: Earth Date Fact Sheet - The Oldest Story Ever Told. The information in that document was obtained from Earthdate.org. Credit: Juli Hennings and Harry Lynch (EarthDate - Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas, Austin)

Looking after country: Water and Fire - Looking after Water Places Video

This video - Looking After Water Places, shows the importance of Water to the Warlpiri. (www.ngurra.org/#/sc/7)

It is focused on the Northern Tanami Indigenous Protected Area in the Northern Territory. The video speaks to the importance of the water ecosystem in this area and how the physical characteristics of the land as well as the animals and plants in this location, have a strong connection to the people and their experience of the land.

Water is an incredibly important resource. The Warlpiri have long had a deep understanding of the places to find water and how to find this water if it is not immediately visible. The focus is now on protecting and conserving these water places.

For more information about the Northern Tanami Indigenous Protected Area head here - Northern Tanami Indigenous Protected Area Storybook Plan Of Management (www.ngurra.org/#/st/0)

Tiwi Carbon Study

This video (youtu.be/3BrzOHxN_HU) shows the Tiwi islands, north of Darwin in the Northern Territory, where a large proportion of the land is burnt yearly. This releases a significant amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Tiwi islanders and the CSIRO are working together on the Tiwi Carbon Study to develop a fire management plan that can store more of this carbon in the land, meeting the cultural, economic, and environmental aspirations of the Tiwi people.

This includes:

identifying the best types of fires for storing more carbon in ecosystems
maintaining the special biodiversity values of the Tiwi Islands
quantifying the economic potential of Greenhouse gas emission abatement through changed fire management as a basis for possible livelihood opportunities for the Tiwi people
protecting important Tiwi assets such as plantation forests.

For more information, head to - Tiwi Carbon Study (ictv.com.au/video/item/1385)

Take Action

To use the knowledge of Indigenous Australians, it is important to work collaboratively with them and respect their traditional knowledge and practices. This may involve partnering with Indigenous communities to develop strategies for managing and protecting ecosystems, supporting the revitalisation of traditional knowledge and practices, and providing resources and support for indigenous-led conservation efforts.

Examples of other ecosystems that have the potential to be impacted by climate change that Indigenous Australians might have significant knowledge in and how we might use that knowledge.

Coral reefs: This knowledge could be used to help manage and protect the reef in the face of climate change, including identifying areas that are particularly vulnerable and developing strategies to help reefs adapt.

Coastal wetlands: Indigenous Australians have also lived in and around coastal wetlands for thousands of years and have a deep understanding of their ecology, including the role they play in supporting marine life and mitigating the impacts of storms and floods. This knowledge could be used to help manage and protect these important ecosystems, including identifying areas that are particularly vulnerable to climate change and developing strategies to help wetlands adapt.

Forests: Indigenous Australians have a deep understanding of the ecology and management of forests, including how to manage fire to maintain biodiversity and the health of the ecosystem. This knowledge could be used to help manage and protect forests in the face of climate change, including identifying areas that are particularly vulnerable to wildfires and developing strategies to reduce the risk of catastrophic fires.

First Nations Ecology: Traditional Indigenous Ecology

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