Aboriginal Waterways Assessment program

12 Aboriginal Waterways Assessment — Part B The program
a search of academic literature
revealed a report written by Dr Gail
Tipa and Laurel Tierney (2006). It
explained that the Cultural Health
Index was developed by Māori
because of their understanding of
streams and waterways and as a way
of arresting further mismanagement
of customary resources.
The Cultural Health Index
methodology incorporates qualitative
Māori values into a quantitative
assessment framework. This fuelled
the interest of MLDRIN and NBAN
to find their own systematic and
culturally-appropriate ways to
participate in water planning.
To help Aboriginal people do
this and contribute to Basin Plan
implementation processes, the
MDBA organised for Basin Aboriginal
leaders to visit New Zealand and
meet with Māori scientists and
leaders to learn about the Cultural
Health Index.
This visit took place from 16 to
24 September 2013 and included
delegates from MLDRIN, NBAN, the
National Cultural Flows Planning and
Research Committee, Aboriginal water
professionals and the MDBA.
Support for the assessment
methodology
The delegation learned that the
Cultural Health Index is a framework
for Māori to apply traditional methods
and perspectives when assessing the
overall health of waterways. It does
this in a way that links Māori cultural
values and knowledge to western
scientific methods.
The delegates agreed that the
Cultural Health Index would be
a very useful tool to help their
organisations and local Traditional
Owner groups have input into
water planning and implementing
the Basin Plan. Some modifications
were needed to suit Australian
Aboriginal perspectives and Basin
environments.
The visit to New Zealand also
reinforced other important
lessons including:
• the importance of good
leadership to put into effect
the research findings
• the role and value of highperforming
staff in the
Māori organisations
• the motivation and willingness
of leaders and communities to take
initiatives as well as some risks in
order to achieve their aspirations.
Consistent with the principles of
‘free, prior and informed consent’, the
New Zealand delegation committed
to advocate for this approach in each
of their organisations and with their
local community members. With the
agreement of MLDRIN and NBAN an
initial pilot version of the Cultural
Health Index tool and assessment
approach was developed.
This prototype preserved the same
components as the Māori Cultural
Health Index, but changed the
assessment indicators within each
component to better fit Aboriginal
Traditional Owner interests and Basin
environmental conditions.
In August 2014 a joint MLDRIN and
NBAN Executive meeting reconfirmed
support for the program and pilot
locations. The informed and sustained
participation of local Aboriginal
community members in piloting the
prototype enabled modifications to be
made to better-fit local conditions.