Indigenous Knowledge and Its Role in Modern Society

Acknowledgement of Land

• Recognition of the sacred land and its people
• Importance of acknowledging land when traveling to others' territories

Dual Cultural Background

• Father: Traditional cultural man
• Mother: Raised in a Catholic mission with middle-class white Australian values
• Grew up experiencing both cultural perspectives

Early Life on Ungalgun Island

• Lived on isolated island off Kimberley's coast
• Learned symbiotic relationship with nature
• Survival depended on nature, not influenced by politics or economics
• Values of interdependence between humans and nature

Education and Challenges

• Moved to Broome for education
• Attended all-boys private school in Perth as the only indigenous student
• Faced challenges and misunderstandings about his identity and cultural value

Observations on Western Culture

• Witnessed capitalism, consumption, extraction, and greed
• Realization of the Kimberley's importance to all

Indigenous Knowledge vs. Western Science

• Western science calls it "Traditional Ecological Knowledge"
• Prefers term "Indigenous Science"
• Indigenous knowledge developed through observation, experimentation, and analysis
• Need to integrate these knowledges for sustainable practices

Climate Change and Indigenous Wisdom

• Climate change as a fundamental threat
• Indigenous people have historical knowledge of environmental changes
• Knowledge embedded in cultural practices and social systems

Importance of Kimberley Region

• 94% is indigenous-owned, subject to native title
• Opportunity to use this knowledge for long-term solutions
• Importance of uniting indigenous and non-indigenous perspectives

Call for Integration

• Need to integrate indigenous knowledge into mainstream operations
• Importance across various industries, not just land management

Contribution to Global Stability

• Indigenous knowledge and science can help stabilize the planet
• Complementary relationship between the two knowledge systems

Legacy and Future Solutions

• Emphasis on the legacy we leave behind
• Indigenous understanding of legacy and culture
• Potential of combined indigenous knowledge and Western science as future guide

Personal Dedication

• 20 years as an indigenous educator
• Belief in collective solution involving all people
• Critique of capitalism and call for mindful change

Hope for Change

• Hope for genuine change and better legacy
• Encouragement to integrate and respect indigenous knowledge for future generations

Albert Wiggin