Indigenous rangers and their evolving role looking after their country.

I remember growing up that all i ever wanted to do was to become a ranger, Someone that patrolled the land, looking after animals, planting trees, rehabilitating land, the list of what i thought rangers do went own.

During the late 80's and early 90's there where a ground swell of activities that helped in regards to my direction of becoming a ranger.

In the far north of Queensland there was the Caring for country program the then Cairns TAFE. I recall many people like me, from all over the north and Cape York wanting to be rangers enrolled in the course.

Predomeintly this training from TAFE was delivered to Communities on Cape York that had the old Community Development Employment Program or CDEP as it was known. There where modules delivered in many communities on the Cape and eventually elsewhere in Far North. While this was happening the listing of the rainforest country between Townsville in the South to Cooktown in the North for its unique World Heritage Values was also being considered.

All of factors heightened my awareness and my aspirations to play a role in looking after my country. My ideas then of a role in looking after country was about being a 'ranger', someone that patrolled country that, was authorised to look after country. Looked after and recorded archaeological sites, played a role in managing special ecological habitats, conducted research and monitoring of country. Also played an active role in management through burning and other prescribed land management practices. Sounds reasonable doesn't it, sounds like a worthwhile career pathway.

Well my ideas are still the same about what a Aboriginal ranger should do. However when I reflect back and look at what community based Aboriginal rangers where doing it wasn't as  outlined above. Firstly many of the Aboriginal rangers, where employed by community organisations that ran the Commonwealth funded Community Development Employment Program.

These rangers worked in their communities, undertook training in Caring for Country to attain a certificate IV in conservation and Land Management. If they where lucky they had money to employ a ranger coordinator. They undertook work programs such as fencing, cleaning up streets, patrolling camp or other areas, some visitor management, some had the opportunity to take tourist on guided walks, some worked looking after and recording cultural sites. All worthwhile but I argue that there was not any real structure or steps towards major NRM outcomes. There where periods of training where rangers where able to undertake meaningful engagement with concrete learnings. I would also argue though, that many of those skills and experiences learnt where not followed through once back in the CDEP workplace.

Throughout the early 90's the thought was that a workforce of trained environmental managers would come through and meet the aims and aspirations of Aboriginal traditional owners to manage their country. This workforce would be qualified skilled, experienced and recognised with some level of authority for their role. Unfortunetly only parts of this vision was realised at the time. Often poor deliver of training, no real recognition by government of the authority or position of Aboriginal community rangers. Little or no resources to conduct worthwhile work programs that lead to addressing key natural and cultural resource management issues. No real engagement with broader government based conservation agencies. No real engagement with NRM researchers. All of these factors left the Aborignal Community Ranger isolated and indeed as the name entails just a Aborignal community ranger.

Unfortunetly, well from my experience and knowledge this was the position for much of the 90's. There where pockets of excellences and sound NRM outcomes. Examples such as the Kowanyama Land and Natural Resource Management Office. They had sound structures, good NRM outcomes and attracted resources to undertake their business.

In the late 1990's the then Howard government sold of the publics interest in Telstra, creating the Natural Heritage Trust. This lead to a influx of funding. Funding for rangers and caring of country activities. Speaking about Cape York and the Wet Tropics areas there was an exponential growth in activities. Id argue that there where more rangers during this period then any other, including today. However i would also argue that much of the activities remained the same. Perhaps in general a tad more involvement in research occurred during this period.

Since there days there has been a redefining of the role that Aboriginal rangers can play in caring for their country. There had been constant lobbying to government to build that understanding of the aspirations and the needs. This has and is showing results. There has been the establishment of key regional organisation. Community politics aside, these regional organisation and provided an effective regional consolidated voice. These regional organisation have been more effective in providing this message into government and other institutions that are involved in NRM.

They have been effective in providing a defined message. There have also been some great examples of cost effective NRM outcomes delivered by Aborignal rangers in areas of high profile NRM issues. I speak particualry of Turtle and dugong management in this regards.

Over time I have seen evolving in the role of Aborignal rangers as well. Towards what i outlined in the initial part of this blog. There are now some rangers involved in research, they have sound working relationships with researchers and research institutions. Importantly the there is a recognition that Aborignal rangers can play a role in research. There are rangers involved in NRM outcomes managing high profile species such as turtle and dugongs. There are rangers recording cultural heritage and managing those special values. There are rangers providing education and information both to our own mob and in a cross cultural context. There are now even junior rangers.
There are rangers that have been long term employees of government agencies. There are partnerships between institutions and Aboriginal ranger organisations.

I'm encouraged to highlight these things. Im happy about where this has evolved to. And this will continue. there will be more developments. There will need to be Aborignal owned and lead research programs for one thing. But this will happen.

So this the third of my blogs, was just about covering some areas of interest in the area of Aboriginal land management. I'm a consultant that works with Aboriginal groups in land and cultural heritage management planning. For more info on me please feel free to visit my webpage www.djarnda.com.au . If also inclined follow me on twitter @Barryjhunter1. My aim with blogs will be about covering areas of interest and expressing my views around this.
There will be more blogs and opinions offered and more in-depth look at specific issues, trends and developments.

Thanks for taking the time to read and hope my opinions are valuable.