My book of the year

People on Country: Vital Landscapes, Indigenous Futures , edited by Jon Altman and Sean Kerins.

1.     A must-read antidote to the oft-repeated neoliberal “solutions” to Aboriginal disadvantage, and a plea for Traditional Owners to be front-and-centre of conservation programs, particularly in the country’s fragile north. 

The book combines perspectives of Western researchers and their Aboriginal colleagues involved in Caring for Country programs. It celebrates the groundbreaking work of such programs, which have enabled Aboriginal people to incorporate Western employment and scientific knowledge with centuries-old cultural and land-management obligations.

But these programs, like the fragile ecosystems in which they operate, are under threat, as employment policies change and governments push to centralise remote populations, potentially leaving country uncared for.

People on Country offers an insightful and refreshing look at alternative models of economic development, education and employment – models that recognise the intersection of culture and country and the vital role scattered, remote Aboriginal populations can play in protecting biodiversity and mitigating climate change.