The theme of NAIDOC Week this year is ‘Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up’ and the ESA is proud to be acting on this theme in several ways.

For twelve years, the Indigenous Ecological Knowledge Symposium has been a core component of our annual conference. This showcase of Indigenous biocultural knowledge, research and projects provides an opportunity for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to form relationships and build on their many shared interests, values and practices in caring for and understanding country.

As part of this Symposium, the ESA and Bush Heritage Australia offer the ‘Right Way Science’ Prize to a presenter or program at the conference. ‘Right-way’ science recognises the sovereignty, connection and knowledge of Traditional Owners across the country. It is an exchange of knowledge and a chance to learn based on mutual respect, responsibility and connectedness. Find out more about ‘right way’ science, including past prize winners, on our website.

The ESA Indigenous Working Group is also actively working on several initiatives that help to move us towards reconciliation. These include a Reconciliation Action Plan, research engagement principles for working on country respectfully, an Indigenous ecologist network and protocols around Indigenous intellectual property. More information about these initiatives will be released as they become available so keep an eye on ESA social media and E-news!

We also actively support the dissemination of Indigenous ecological knowledge and produced a special issue of the journal Ecological Management & Restoration titled ‘Indigenous land and sea management in remote Australia’. Articles in this issue have been made publicly accessible and can be found on the Wiley website. Our partners at Wiley have also created a NAIDOC Week 2022 collection which highlights a selection of research published across Wiley journals both by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, and on a broad range of topics relating to Indigenous Australia. This collection features over 60 free-to-access interviews and research papers, exploring topics such as sustainable and innovative methods of land management, thought leadership in areas of activism, and traditional medicines and kinship systems.

This NAIDOC Week, join us in celebrating Indigenous ecologists across Australia.