Using the Aboriginal Rangelands: 'insider' Realities and 'outsider' Perceptions.

Abstract

Aboriginal ownership of Australia's rangelands is already significant and is likely to increase with recognition of Native Title. Aboriginal management of the rangelands, including their use for cultural and subsistence purposes as well as for pastoralism and conservation (parks) presents alternatives to conventional practices. Traditional ecological knowledge is applied in all forms of Aboriginal land use. Multiple use of the land, combining two or more forms of use within a single area, is predominant. Such strategies are particularly important in more marginal parts of the rangelands where, because of environmental unpredictability, single purpose use may threaten the successful survival of landholders. A case-study of contemporary land use practised by the Ngarrinyin people in one such marginal area, the interior section of the Kimberley's remote Gibb River road, illustrates these points. As it shows, Aboriginal groups have varied their land management responses according to the extent of their ownership and control over their traditional country. The multiple uses which they practise enhance both their chances of providing a livelihood and the sustainability of the land as a whole. Non-Aboriginal neighbours have also increasingly moved towards multiple use strategies. These realities challenge the common perception from the 'outsider' government authorities that such regions should focus on single purpose use, with pastoralism the prime emphasis. The paper argues that this challenge must be met, by revision of land tenure to accommodate multiple use, by improving Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communication and information exchange on rangeland management, by providing appropriate land management programs and by engaging in longterm, holistic planning for all residents of such regions. Such approaches would enhance opportunities for closing the gap between the realities of rangeland use and beliefs in appropriate forms of use.