Date of Award

Spring 5-8-2024

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Environmental Studies

Advisor(s)

John Van Buren

Abstract

This paper explores the traditional knowledge of Australia’s Indigenous people and how it can improve Australia's environment, health, and economic prosperity to shape a more sustainable future. Indigenous Australians managed the land for thousands of years; however, being forced off the land following European colonization resulted in terrible cultural, social, and environmental disruption for Aboriginal Australians and made conservation efforts difficult. Wildfires, imported species, mining, and agriculture is steadily destroying the Australian ecosystem, contributing to climate change, species extinction, and gaps in our cultural and ancestral knowledge. Chapter One overviews Australia's environmental issues; it uses quantitative data to explore the current state of the environment, shifts in biodiversity management, and their ecological impact. Chapter Two of this paper examines Australia's environmental history, its native flora and fauna, and the evolution of the continent's biodiversity, precisely the effect of the imposition of Western resource management and the damage this has had on the ecosystem. To clarify the connections between Indigenous worldviews and land management, Chapter Three explores the environmental anthropology of Indigenous practices and how traditional ecological knowledge and the environment fit within culture and society. Chapter Four delves further into the cultural relevance of traditional ecological knowledge, considering the interdependence of human and environmental health and the effects of climate change on the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. The study examines the impact of traditional ecological knowledge on environmental welfare in Chapter Five, highlighting how traditional ecological knowledge supports ecological resilience, ecosystem services, and responsible resource management. Chapter Six pays particular attention to ecotourism, bioprospecting, and sustainable resource management, highlighting the economic value of traditional ecological knowledge. Chapter Seven is an accumulation of policy recommendations that have come to light in researching traditional ecological knowledge; it examines the current political landscape of Australia and defines how current policies may be improved, or new ones may be implemented. Recognizing the potential of traditional ecological knowledge to build a sustainable and culturally aware future, the research explores ways to incorporate it into economic frameworks, environmental policies, and educational curricula. This research attempts to contribute to a comprehensive knowledge of the complex link between environmental well-being, cultural heritage, and the development of effective environmental policies by addressing the diverse relevance of traditional ecological knowledge. Aboriginal knowledge can supplement existing scientific knowledge and, in some cases, offer an alternative viewpoint. Accepting Aboriginal ecological knowledge will benefit the scientific community and Australia's political, cultural, and economic spheres.

Download

Share

COinS