Building the capacity of Indigenous people and organisations
The development of Indigenous land management organisations and the sector more broadly is a key project focus. This includes:
- increasing opportunities for rangers and traditional owners (TO) to engage with other groups and to have a sense of being part of a broader network
- supporting ranger teams
- providing opportunities for local and international ranger exchange programs
- collaborations across Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) and other national reserve system properties in the project area
- increasing social and employment outcomes for Indigenous people in land management activities in the project area
- feedback from TOs on social and cultural benefits of project activities
- supporting a strong network and Indigenous voice for the desert
- securing ongoing funding for ranger programs
Indigenous Desert Alliance
The Indigenous Desert Alliance (IDA) aims to support Indigenous land managers to share information and innovation, develop regionally significant collaborative projects and advocate for investment in the desert region. The IDA is now an incorporated entity in its own right and plays a vital role in securing the future health of the desert and its people by:
- strengthening the existing connections between desert people
- empowering desert people to look after their country
- connecting the desert story with the story of our country
The project provides funding for what is now the largest gathering of Indigenous desert rangers in the country – the IDA annual conference – as well as other annual IDA training camps and forums for Indigenous land management organisations and rangers to share learnings and identify priority issues for the network’s development.