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The critical role that Indigenous people play in natural resource management is globally recognized, with such endeavors frequently supported by Government and non-government funded programs. We explore the perceived impact of the knowledge-exchange opportunities arising from these programs, using data from a survey of Indigenous people from northern Australian communities involved in Indigenous land and sea management programs (ILSMPs). We find that ILSMPs are perceived as opportunities for exchange of both western and Indigenous-generated knowledge, with more people reporting opportunities to learn and share traditional rather than western generated knowledge. Aspects of life perceived as improved by learning and sharing were in relation to self, to others (community and family) and the Indigenous culture overall. Learning is having a positive impact on wellbeing; sharing is predominantly positive, but survey responses also reveal some negatives: mostly related to examples of sharing undertaken in culturally inappropriate exchanges, which not only impacts wellbeing, but also erodes the quality of the information exchanged. Reducing the negative sentiments related to sharing will not only improve the wellbeing of Indigenous people, but will also improve the quality of knowledge exchanged with consequent positive outcomes for the environment and society as a whole.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	traditional ecological and cultural knowledge, learning, sharing knowledge, quality of life, wellbeing, knowledge sharing protocols
Research Division:	Economics
Research Group:	Other economics
Research Field:	Other economics not elsewhere classified
Objective Division:	Economic Framework
Objective Group:	Other economic framework
Objective Field:	Ecological economics
UTAS Author:	Stoeckl, NE (Professor Natalie Stoeckl)
ID Code:	141328
Year Published:	2020
Deposited By:	TSBE
Deposited On:	2020-10-15
Last Modified:	2021-01-27
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