Charles Darwin University’s School of Australian Indigenous Knowledge Systems has received a $25,000 grant that will ensure Indigenous women participate in decision-making about water in their community.
The project supports Indigenous women from the Anmatyerr region in contributing their knowledge to the way their community manages their water (or kwaty) resources.
The funding will contribute to the overall Anmatyerr Kwaty Program, a suite of research activities that seek to clarify the rights of Indigenous people to use and care for water and water places under Northern Territory and national legislation.
Dr Naomi Rea, senior lecturer in resource management, said that legislation governing water resources needed to recognise the customs and practices of Indigenous communities.
She stressed that Anmatyerr men and women were working together in complementary fashion to have their knowledge taken into account.
‘Support for this research stems from international declarations on the rights of Indigenous women,’ she said.
‘These declarations aim to strengthen Indigenous women's participation in all aspects of leadership and governance,’ she said.