Indigenous representatives from Australia, Canada find shared ground through Two Deserts Exchange

Traditional Owners from Western Australia’s Great Sandy Desert have just returned from visiting Inuit representatives in Canada, where they developed a deeper understanding of what connects Indigenous peoples together—even those who live halfway across the world.

The trip marked the beginning of the Two Deserts Exchange, a new program that aims to connect Indigenous peoples from either side of the planet who have thrived since time immemorial in extreme temperatures and challenging climates. In this inaugural visit, representatives from the Yanunijarra Aboriginal Corporation and Ngurrara Rangers travelled to Nunatsiavut, a self-governing Inuit region in northern Labrador. The exchange is creating opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and knowledge sharing about best practices in Indigenous-led governance and land management. “We were very pleased to welcome the people of Ngurrara to Nunatsiavut, ‘Our Beautiful Land,’” said Johannes Lampe, president of the Nunatsiavut Government.

Peter Murray, chief executive of Yanunijarra Aboriginal Corporation, says the trip has been thought-provoking given the many similarities between the issues facing Indigenous peoples in Canada and Australia. “Relationship to the land is central to both our cultures, and the world is now recognizing that Indigenous people have expertly managed country for thousands of years,” Murray says. “So recognizing our rights over that land—and managing it in a way that aligns with our values—is crucial, not only for us but for the future health of the planet.”  

Indigenous groups from both countries have a long history of influencing each other on the path to achieving recognition and support for Indigenous rights, including self-government, the creation of protected areas, and land management. As part of their visit, the Indigenous representatives from Australia also visited Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), the national Inuit organization headquartered in Ottawa, where they met ITK president Natan Obed.

Along with their visions for the future, the two groups shared some of the challenges facing Indigenous communities in Inuit Nunangat and Australia. Both are on the frontlines of climate change: rising temperatures are causing sea ice to form later and melt earlier, making travel across the sea ice more difficult for Inuit, while the increasing heat of the Australian desert makes it almost impossible to go out on the land at certain times of year. “As we face these

threats to our livelihoods, it’s good to connect with Inuit leaders so that we can learn from each other and develop strategies to deal with these challenges,” Murray says.

Mr. Murray hopes the relationships developed on this trip will continue. “I’d like more leaders and rangers back home to be able to share this opportunity to meet and exchange knowledge with our new friends in the Arctic. We’d love to welcome a contingent of Inuit representatives to visit the Great Sandy Desert next year, too.”

President Lampe also expressed interest in a future visit. “Labrador Inuit Elders have said that ‘our footprints are everywhere’ across our land. But if we went to Australia, our footprints would truly be everywhere.”  

The exchange was made possible thanks to collaboration and support from Oceans North, the Indigenous Desert Alliance (IDA) and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Peter Murray, Chief Executive, Yanunijarra Aboriginal Corporation
Email: peter@yaninijarra.org.au
+61 0418 961 951

Bert Pomeroy, Director of Communications, Nunatsiavut Government
bert.pomeroy@nunatsiavut.com
1-709-896-8582