Black and green: the future of Indigenous–environmentalist relations in Australia

Abstract

ABSTRACTIndigenous–environmental relations in Australia have a difficult history. Two examples from fieldwork in northern Australia – the Wild Rivers campaign in Queensland and contestations over Walmadan (James Price Point) in Western Australia – facilitate exploration of the contrast between the sustained, multiple and detailed efforts that environmental groups have put into black–green relations, and the public perception that environmentalists do not care about Indigenous people. The multiple competing political narratives of different Indigenous activists and environmental organisations around notions of environment and economy are identified. This detailed analysis suggests that environmentalists need to advocate for a peopled-landscape and all activists must engage in a more nuanced discussion and understanding of diverse forms of economy.