2019 AMSA Indigenous Workshop
Promoting collaborative and respectful partnerships for Sea Country research in WA
Between 2016 and 2018 the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub has worked closely with Australian Marine Sciences Association (AMSA) to plan, facilitate and sponsor workshops aimed at advancing Indigenous engagement and participation in marine science. The workshops have been successful in promoting the importance of Indigenous engagement in marine science. They have also been useful for identifying numerous examples around Australia of Indigenous interests, engagement and participation in marine science. Collectively the workshops provide a good range of examples for identification of Indigenous research priorities, formation of collaborative research agreements, collaborative field work and presentation of research results to Indigenous communities. Reports are available for the Darwin 2017 Workshop and the Adelaide 2018 Workshop.
The Fremantle 2019 workshop will focus dialogue and interactions to promote the establishment of collaborative and respectful partnerships for sea country research in Western Australia. The event will build on past AMSA workshops and the considerable achievements of collaborative partnerships on sea country across Australia. The workshop will bring together targeted individuals from marine science programs and Indigenous Sea Country Programs in Western Australia to generate a shared understanding about the status of current marine science and sea country programs. Indigenous participants will discuss their preferences for engagement in marine science in Western Australia and identify next steps to establish a ‘standard of expectations’ for Indigenous engagement in marine research on sea country. The workshop will identify challenges and opportunities for promoting the establishment of collaborative and respectful partnerships for sea country research.
The AMSA Conference Context
The Australian Marine Sciences Association is Australia’s peak professional body for marine scientists from all disciplines and for over 50 years has promoted all aspects of marine science in Australia. AMSA operates with a membership network of individuals and corporate affiliates as a not-for-profit organisation. For a workshop like the one we are proposing, AMSA’s strength is its ability to pull together marine scientists, representatives from marine science institutions and facilities and those with an interest in marine science, including Indigenous communities. A cross-cultural working group has been established to organise this workshop.
All workshop invitees are asked to attend two integrated sessions spread over two day. These sessions will be separated by a third session for Indigenous attendees only – see the table below
| Workshop sessions | Attendance | Focus |
| Session 1 – Wednesday 10 July, 1.45pm – 6 pm |
All invited participants | Developing a shared understanding: approaches to past, current and the potential for future collaborative research and monitoring on Sea Country in Western Australia |
| Session 2 – Thursday 11 July, 9 am – 1.30 pm |
Indigenous participants only | Reflection on session 1 and planning for session 2 |
| Session 3 – Thursday 11 July, 2.30 – 6 pm |
All invited participants | Looking to the future: collaborative research and monitoring on sea country in Western Australia (understanding opportunities for partnership approaches and standards for engagement) |
Attendance of the workshop is by invite only. If you have any queries, please contact:
Paul Hedge
Paul.Hedge@csiro.au
03 62325023
Workshop Sponsors
