Accolade for elder Yamaji student

Richard Nelly, an elder member of the Yamaji community, has worn many hats within the Northern Agricultural Region, and he recently donned another.

Richard will now be a major contributor to formulating Indigenous land management programs  within the region, having recently graduated from Deakin University, Institute of Koorie Education at Geelong with a Graduate Diploma of Natural and Cultural Resource Management.

During the past two years, Richard has shared his time between family commitments in Geraldton and wider region, and studying at Deakin University in Melbourne.

He said: “It was a fantastic journey that I hope will benefit the people in our region, young and old. Healthy Country means healthy people.”

“Traditional Ecological Knowledge is the most important element in conservation and land management in Australia.”

The course covers subjects such as Cultural heritage protection and Land and Sea management.

It is particularly ground-breaking as this course explores the convergence of environmental science values with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems and practices. Place-based assessment tasks also ensure relevance to the communities of the students.

Now having completed his diploma, Richard is hopeful about the new developments and growing support for Aboriginal land management in the Northern Agricultural Region.

For more information about the Graduate Diploma of Natural and Cultural Resource Management visit deakin.edu.au/ike or call 1800 063 383.