Winyama trains Pilbara-based ranger groups in cultural land management and spatial technology
From the 20th - 24th September 2021, the Winyama team were invited to Port Hedland to discuss the development of the new Pilbara Cultural and Land Management Project (PCLMP). The project, which has a three year timeline, aims to bring ranger groups and other prominent Pilbara-based organisations together to provide direction and collaboration on building systems for sustainable environmental and cultural land management.
What organisations are involved with PCLMP?
The Pilbara Development Commission is the key facilitator for the PCLMP project with crucial funding being provided by Lotterywest. The project is significant for three main reasons. First and foremost, the skills being taught to the rangers and custodians of the Pilbara region enables them to apply their newly learnt knowledge as they see fit. This helps solidify them as equal partners in the projects they are hired to work on in future.
Secondly, the program is nurturing bonds between community groups in the region, facilitating discussion, knowledge sharing and highlighting common thread problems among First Nations people and opens the door to discuss how they can be overcome.
Thirdly, the project helps to ensure that Country is both preserved and the health of the Pilbara region is maintained. Winyama’s role in the project is an important one, and the team has two key objectives:
To deliver geospatial training to program participants, and;
Provide examples and applications for how spatial technology can be used to care for Country and community in the region.
“We know the software, we know the technology and we know how to apply it in a beneficial way for Country and the community, this is something special that Winyama brings to the table.”
What skills did Winyama teach over the course of the week?
Andrew Dowding teaching 3D Google Earth mapping to Pilbara rangers
The week was a mix of lecture style seminars and hands-on training. Prior to the team arriving in Port Hedland, Merindah and Danielle had a ‘discovery call’ with each of the attending groups to understand their current challenges, use cases and identify any knowledge gaps when it came to geospatial. This was the foundation for the week's plan.
As a result of these calls, the team delivered Indigenous Mapping Workshop training materials for Fulcrum, data management fundamentals, drone mapping and Google Earth for cultural and heritage mapping.
With four more dates tentatively locked-in for the PCLMP forums over the next two years, and a range of smaller events happening over the next six months for the Winyama team, another trip to the Pilbara isn’t far away.
Winyama’s involvement and support for the Pilbara region will not be limited to in-person visits. By promoting the use of the IMW Australia - On Demand and other Winyama-run outreach initiatives, we are working on how we can best support the rangers from afar.
“It’s been a pleasure, for this journey and this experience, to learn more about how we can better utilise this technology to protect our heritage, our country and more importantly our tjurrkurpa (songs and dreaming) which we still must continue to carry”
Would your organisation or initiative benefit from receiving geospatial training?
If you are interested in undertaking Indigenous geospatial training, our team is happy to help. Get in touch to find out more about how we can up-skill your employees.