Digital Platforms and Indigenous Knowledge - Atlas of Living Australia

In partnership with Indigenous communities the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA – www.ala.org.au) is exploring the role of information management platforms in bridging the boundaries between Indigenous Ecological Knowledge (IEK) and western science. This presentation will provide an overview of the ALA’s IEK program of work which aims to build understanding and appreciation of the depth and diversity of Australian IEK and its contribution to total Australian biodiversity knowledge. Current collaborations with Indigenous partner organisations will be discussed, together with the various tools that seek to enable and empower greater Indigenous participation in biodiversity information management and assessment, and to support other aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people related to ecological knowledge.

The IEK platform sits within Australia’s largest repository of ecological data, and will make previously undocumented knowledges accessible to decision makers, scientists and the broader community, including schools and universities, who are interested in understanding and incorporating Indigenous knowledge of the environment into research, learnings and management decisions. 

The presentation will also pose some questions around the role of digital infrastructures or platforms in how Indigenous knowledge is digitally captured, managed, and shared in the “information supply chain”, and the importance of attending to ICIP protocols.