Indigenous Women Protecting the Great Barrier Reef
By Kirthi Jayakumar
One of the world’s most famous natural wonders, the Great Barrier Reef, is home to about 400 different types of coral, 1500 species of fish, and 4000 types of mollusc. A site of tremendous scientific interest as a habitat for species such as the sea cow (dugong) and the large sea turtle – both of which are threatened with extinction (UNESCO n.d.), is highly vulnerable to harm in the form of erosion, the impact of global warming, and pollution, among other things. Over the past three decades, the Reef has lost half its coral cover, suffered starfish outbreaks as a result of pollution, and coral bleaching owing to global warming (WWF n.d.). About 60% of the Reef has experienced widespread coral breaches (Trop 2023).
Protecting the Great Barrier Reef from harm while working hard to conserve its rich biodiversity are a group of indigenous women.
Stewards in Action
Indigenous women in the region called Queensland, northeastern Australia, are the original stewards of the land. With their ancient knowledge, passed from generation to generation, their involvement is vital for the protection of the Great Barrier Reef. Indigenous women hold over 40,000 years of accumulated knowledge on the ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef (n.d.). However, until very recently, they have been excluded from playing an active role in protecting and conserving their home (Trop 2023).
The underrepresentation of indigenous women in addressing the Great Barrier Reef was significantly prominent at the senior management levels (Trop 2023). Only 20% of the indigenous rangers in Queensland were women (Earth Shot Prize 2022). Seeking to remedy this, the Queensland Indigenous Women Rangers Network was set up. The network trained and mentored 135 women (Trop 2023), and paved the way for the creation of new approaches to conservation through knowledge-sharing and storytelling. They gather data that offers critical insights on one of the most significant and vital ecosystems on Earth (Earth Shot Prize 2022). The QIWRN has also protected sites of great cultural and spiritual significance.
Subverting a system that kept them out, the Queensland Indigenous Women Rangers Network (QIWRN) is working hard to change this reality. The QIWRN was launched in 2018, and brings Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Queensland to serve as rangers, map land, track changes within the local ecosystems, and in the process, lead conservation efforts. The network is a large collective of several ranger communities across the Queensland region, and aspires to help repair ecosystems from Hawaii to Nepal to Tanzania (Trop 2023).
The QIWRN is delivered by Yuku Baja Muliku Landowner and Reserves (QIWRN n.d.), whose ranger coordinator, Larissa Hale, is the first female indigenous coordinator in Queensland and the manging director of the Yuku Baja Muliku Landowner and Reserves. Co-designed by indigenous women, government and non-government agencies, and land councils among other stakeholders, it is a highly collaborative program (QIWRN n.d.). The network now has over 80 members engaged in the land and sea management and conservation sectors (QIWRN n.d.), and has been growing steadly. Network members work for Indigenous ranger groups, State and Federal Government departments and other stakeholders across Queensland from the Torres Strait in the far north south to Fraser Island and inland to the Lake Eyre Basin (QIWRN n.d.).
The women have lived experience with their natural heritage, having grown up within and among it. The network of rangers builds the skills of Indigenous communities in Queensland, focusing on the protection of marine habitats and cultural conservation, operating turtle hospitals, monitoring the seabed, and running arts programs (Earth Shot Prize 2022). In December 2022, the QIWRN won the Earth Shot Prize (2022) for their efforts.
Subversion through Conservation
The destruction of the Great Barrier Reef has tremendous consequences for the planet and its future. However, this destruction has come within a short window of time – over just three decades. Indigenous communities, however, have been stewards of this land with a rich heritage of ancient and traditional knowledge from as many as 40,000 years ago. In seeking to protect and conserve the Great Barrier Reef, these women are also preserving their home land and its environment, while also preserving and protecting their traditional knowledge.
Furthermore, through their efforts to assert their presence as rangers, these women are also questioning their exclusion and asserting their agency as guardians of their lands. This dedication to the integrity of their ecosystem is also a powerful reminder to the young women in their communities, as they are beginning to recognize the spectrum of career options by looking at role models around them (Trop 2023). The wisdom, knowledge, and careful stewardship of their natural heritage is also paving the way for global efforts toward conservation by relying on the traditional and ancient wisdom of indigenous communities.
References
Earth Shot Prize (2022). Indigenous Women of the Great Barrier Reef. https://earthshotprize.org/winners-finalists/indigenous-women-of-the-great-barrier-reef/
Great Barrier Reef (n.d.). Great Barrier Reef. https://greatbarrierreef.org/about-the-reef/history-of-the-great-barrier-reef/
Trop, J. (2023). Meet the Indigenous Women Who Are Working to Protect Australia's Great Barrier Reef. https://robbreport.com/motors/marine/indigenous-women-protecting-great-barrier-reef-1234815177/
UNESCO (n.d.). Great Barrier Reef. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154/
WWF (n.d.). Great Barrier Reef. https://wwf.org.au/what-we-do/oceans/great-barrier-reef/
