Working Together with Remote Indigenous Communities to Facilitate Adapting to Using Energy Wisely: Barriers and Enablers

Authors:

Petra Buergelt, Lawurrpa Elaine Maypilama, Julia McPhee, Galathi Dhurkkay, Shirley Nirrpuranydjii, Sylvia Manyturrpuy, Marrayurra Wunungmurra, Timothy Skinner, Andrew Campbell, Anne Lowell and Simon Moss

Organisation of Presenter:

Charles Darwin University, Australia

Abstract:

A $12 million Commonwealth funded consortium project trialled energy efficiency initiatives in six remote Indigenous communities over three years. This project employed and educated over 80 local Yolŋu to educate their fellow community members to use power wisely. The research and evaluation component was designed together by Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers and entailed ethnography and a local Indigenous co-researcher approach. Sixteen local Yolŋu co-researchers conducted 124 in-depth qualitative interviews with community members across six communities in the local languages. The transcribed interviews were analysed using thematic, narrative and content analysis strategies. The stories provide rare insights into how Yolŋu used, experienced and interpreted fire or power in the old days, missionary times and government days. The stories identify barriers to, and enablers of, Indigenous and non-indigenous people working together designing and conducting projects. The stories capture how Yolŋu educators and households experienced and interpreted the project—including effective practices, challenges, impediments and recommendations for he future. In this paper we share the essence of these stories to provide an overview of the key barriers and enablers of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people working together in remote Indigenous communities to use power efficiently. We propose that, for projects with Indigenous people to be effective, non-indigenous partners need to closely work together with Indigenous communities as equals prior to applying for funding and implementing projects as well as throughout the projects. The projects need to employ a long-term and adaptive process.