Summary

Modern-day natural resource managers frequently rely upon Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to manage resources and identify opportunities for the economic activation of their assets. However, remote Indigenous community-controlled businesses are at a distinct disadvantage when accessing GIS technologies compared to their non-remote and non-Indigenous counterparts. A key challenge for Indigenous land managers is the difficulty in representing cultural concerns and priorities within GIS tools, which were originally developed for Western land management and planning frameworks.

Project lead, the Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC) is seeking to implement a GIS program to support the activation of their Indigenous estate as part of an ambitious economic and social development program.

In partnership with Aerometrex, Geoscience Australia and The Australian National University, the project will develop and adapt GIS mapping and technical products to better suit the remote Indigenous context. The approach will be shared with industry and government to encourage broader adoption.

The project will centre around a community mapping exercise, where Traditional Owners will produce spatial data that captures the living cultural landscape of their Country. This data will be incorporated into story maps and integrated into a GIS platform, providing a mechanism for community voices to be included in Country planning.

The spatial data generated will be stored in the ALC’s geospatial database and used as a baseline cultural information layer to support land and sea management activities.

Expected outcomes

• Overcome practical barriers faced by remote Northern Territory communities in accessing, owning, and utilising spatial data to support Indigenous businesses.
• Provide a method and publicly available model for integrating data related to cultural concerns and priorities into spatially enabled land management systems – contributing to the economic development goals of Indigenous-controlled businesses.
• Empower the people of the Groote archipelago (NT) with sovereignty over their spatial information, giving them the tools to access and use this data for strategic planning and decision- making.
• Increase the capacity and capability of First Nations people to access, analyse, and apply data to make informed decisions about their Country.