IWRA Proceedings

Abstract

Traditional 
law
 and
 culture
 form
 the
 agency
in
which
 Indigenous
 people
 claim
 ownership
of
water
and
are
imbedded
within
traditional
concepts
of
identity.
It
 is
within
this
theology
that
Indigenous
people
of
the
Kimberley
argue
connection
 to
land
and
 thus
 Indigenous
rights
 to
water.

 Indigenous
 traditional
knowledge
 provides
 for
 a
 social
 connectivity
 to
 the
 environment
 that
 is
 currently
 lacking
 from
 contemporary
 governance
 and
 water
 management
 structures
 within
 Western
Australia.

This
paper
explores
the
importance
of
integrating
Indigenous
 values
 to
 adaptive
 water
 management
 through
 a
 socio‐ecological
 systems
 approach
 based
 on
 traditional
 knowledge
 of
 the
 Miriwoong
 people.
 This
 case
 study
offers
a
unique
opportunity
to
explore
Indigenous
identity
and
ownership
 of
 water
 in
 two
 river
 catchments
 (Ord
 and
 Keep
 Rivers)
 with
 vastly
 different
 land
 tenures
 and
 how
 traditional
 knowledge
 could
 inform
 adaptive
 water
 management
 thus
 providing
a
 platform
 for
 Indigenous
 rights
 to
water
 for
 both
 economic
and
cultural
use.