Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council: an Indigenous cultural approach to collaborative water governance

ABSTRACT

In 2016, Traditional Owners came together to discuss their collective vision for the Martuwarra, expressed in the Fitzroy River Declaration. Traditional Owners established the Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council (MFRC) as a collective governance model to maintain the spiritual, cultural and environmental health of the catchment. Traditional Owners advocate a collaborative approach for an inclusive water governance model and catchment management plan. The MFRC advocates the need to establish a Fitzroy River Catchment Authority as a statutory body to monitor and regulate potential cumulative impacts from development. The Authority needs to be inclusive of all stakeholders and ensure that there is informed consent in decisions regarding development. This article articulates a local critique of water resource development and presents an alternative model of governance developed by Indigenous leaders of the West Kimberley.

Abstract in Nyikina

Mardoowarra walboorran makoorr yingan.2016kan Yimardoowarra mandajarrani yirrwoondamany; Mardoowarra yirrjinbiny. Bana kaliya boojoo yirrmanyjarri nganka, dirrk yirrandiny bangarriykan nyardoo nganka. Nya nganka bangarriykan nilawal kinyjina Mardoowarra Fitzroy River Declaration.

Nyardoo Mardoowarra Fitzroy River Declaration mandajarra wanarralingarranganymirri, wayarrajalajala mardoowarra.

Nyardoo Mardoowarra Fitzroy River Declaration yijib yindin, minirli yindin international water governance principles.

Yimardoowarra mandajarrani wamboorr yirrin jida wangarama nganka mardoowarraji, rules mardoowarraji. Nyardoo Martuwarra Fitzroy River Declaration wanalingarrangany mandajarra mardoowarra-ji booroo wayarrajooloojooloomayina.

Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council wanajalajamamayina mardoowarra.

Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council yingngankanbarri government. Wangarrangankangkaya mardoowarra-ji booroo wangarrajalajalamayina.

Kinyaboo, Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council ngajak yirrin governmentkaboo. Wangarra-jooba government Martuwarra Fitzroy River Catchment Authority wani. Nyardoo Authority, mardoowarraji booroo wanajalajalamayina.

KEYWORDS:

• First Law
• decolonisation
• water governance
• catchment management

Acknowledgement

The constructive comments on the drafts of the article by the anonymous reviewers and editors have assisted in valuable improvements to publication of the article in this special issue.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Kathrine S. Taylor http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6675-3852

Notes

1. In this section, including the abstract, the principal author has used her Nyikina language orthography. As the river passes through Nyikina country it is spelt Mardoowarra. As a Traditional Owner, the lead author is a custodian and guardian of Nyikina country, including the Mardoowarra. In the article we refer to the Fitzroy River as ‘Martuwarra’ to reflect the generic term and orthography used by many Traditional Owners. The historical name for the river changes as it weaves its way through the different Indigenous nations. We recognise the right of each nation within the catchment to speak for their country in their own language. Europeans renamed the Martuwarra; it is now known as the Fitzroy River.

2. For example, the Kimberley Water Forum (Department of Water 2008) recommended statutory protection for the river: recognising native title rights and associated Traditional Owner interests; establishing a governance framework based on partnership; and prohibiting some damaging activities in Fitzroy River Catchment.

3. Grace (2016, 5) calls this model an ‘Aboriginal National Park’, suggesting that ‘Key features of this [proposed] legislation should include the ability to limit certain activities without Parliamentary approval (similar to a Class A Reserve); the ability to regulate certain activities and manage visitors – with approval coming back to the native title holders as opposed to the Minister; the ability of rangers to enforce plans of management; and an avenue for the WA Government to invest resources … ’

Additional information

Funding

This research is supported by Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships, held by the first two authors. Funding from the Australian Research Council’s Future Fellowships Program (project number FT130101145) supported the translation of the abstract.