Water, decolonisation, and connections to Country

On this episode, guest host Kim Cunio is joined by Kathleen Harriden and Jessica Weir to talk about the importance of Indigenous knowledge, the deep connection of Indigenous people to Country, and how to decolonise Australian institutions.

Are the disciplinary boundaries used by universities and the policymaking apparatus to understand challenges and distribute resources actually preventing society from effectively tackling complex issues like water policy? Does the desire to learn about Indigenous fire management practices in the wake of Australia’s terrible bushfire season represent a turning point in non-Indigenous understanding of Indigenous knowledge? And how can key national institutions place greater value on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practices and knowledge that have maintained environmental balance across the continent for tens of thousands of years? On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Associate Professor Kim Cunio is joined by multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary researcher and advocate Kathleen Harriden and environmental management researcher Dr Jessica Weir to discuss breaking down our disciplinary and policymaking boundaries.

Associate Professor Kim Cunio researches composition and musicology in the School of Music of The Australian National University. He is an accomplished researching composer and performer and was awarded an ABC Golden Manuscript Award in recognition of his work with traditional music.

Dr Jessica Weir is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University, and a Visiting Fellow at ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society.

Kathleen Harriden is a PhD student at ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society, and is particularly interested in including traditional ecological knowledge in urban water management practices and policy development.

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