About Our Organisation
Welcome to Indigenous Climate Change (ICC)
Indigenous Climate Change is a group of Indigenous Environmental Scientists committed to knowledge sharing of climate adaptation strategies for Indigenous communities. The founder and leader, Environmental Scientist Toni Hay from the Gaamilaraay Nation who grew up on Yolngu homelands, has been developing community-based climate adaptation strategies to identify and reduce the risk of climate change for Indigenous peoples throughout Oceania.
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Through both science and Indigenous Knowledge, Toni is committed to including Indigenous people in planning their adaptation plans. Her work within the field won her the 2020 Queensland Women in STEM award. She has started this organisation in order to meet the needs of traditional owners throughout the Pacific. For Toni, this is more than just a project; the issue of climate change affects the people, land and sea she calls home.
Traditional owners across Australia are facing numerous challenges in the changing climate, whether it’s water depletion, extensive bush fires, flooding or biodiversity loss, these issues are pressing and widespread.
Based out of Queensland, Australia, Toni and her team will help Indigenous communities across the country by combining cultural knowledge with science and engineering to ensure continued resilience to the changing climate. Creating a culturally safe environment for families and Indigenous scientists to work together is at the forefront of the organisation’s work. The ICC believes that combining traditional knowledge with advanced scientific and engineering processes will create long-term climate adaptation strategies for Indigenous peoples.
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Indigenous Climate Change prioritises knowledge sharing among all First Nations people. From the saltwater to the freshwater people, the ICC believes in the power of tradition and the sharing of experiences between communities. By doing so, Indigenous people can adapt to the changing landscapes. This adaptation is paramount in building resilience for the future.
By combining science and story, the Indigenous Climate Change team will work closely with communities to pinpoint what changes people are seeing in their area and how they may minimise future climate-based issues.
