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What can First Nations Systems Thinking teach us about sustainable land management?

For over 65,000 years, First Nations communities have practised a worldview in which everything is interconnected. It offers a blueprint for the foresight our policies demand today.

As we face the urgent need for policies that safeguard our planet against environmental degradation and climate change, we must ask ourselves: Are we making decisions that honour the interests of future generations to a liveable planet?

Advocates for the interests of future generations and environmental sustainability face this challenge of developing practices that ensure our actions today do not compromise the environment and resources for those yet to be born. The good news is, we have something to work with.

Globally, First Nations communities have long practised approaches that embody the foresight and responsibility needed to protect the environment and the interests of those yet to be born, including Systems Thinking.

Understanding systems thinking

For over 65,000 years, First Nations communities across the land we now know as Australia have maintained a deep connection with the land, other people, culture, and non-human biodiversity. This approach acknowledges that "everything is interconnected"; actions affecting one part of the ecosystem inevitably impact others, with consequences unfolding over generations.

Systems thinking is an approach that views complex systems globally holistically, anchored in indigenous worldviews, recognising the interconnections among various elements and their long-term implications.

Western thinking often involves breaking the world's systems down into manageable sections, isolating issues outside of their contexts. This promotes short-term decision-making that addresses our immediate needs, but neglects the long-term impacts of our actions on the system as a whole. In contrast, systems thinking emphasises a foresighted approach where actions are conducted with care for their long-term effects across systems: economic, social, cultural, and ecological.

Our systems are interconnected

The Noongar people of the southwest region of Western Australia have flourished through a cultural philosophy that links land, people, knowledge, and culture.

Their connection to boodjar (Land, Country) is sustained through kaartdijin (knowledge) passed intergenerationally through moort (family, relations), guided by Elders. This interwoven knowledge and custodial responsibility has maintained the health of their land and community over millennia. In this way, knowledge transfer ensures that both ecological wisdom and cultural heritage are preserved.

Noongar custodial practices embody systems thinking, recognising the interconnectedness across every aspect of life. Land, moort, and kaartdijin are interdependent, and the health of each one affects the others.

This interconnected worldview aligns closely with the broader systems thinking practices of Indigenous peoples globally. As Bruce Pascoe highlights in Dark Emu, Australian Indigenous peoples have demonstrated a profound understanding of these interconnections through practices such as sustainable agriculture and aquaculture. These practices balanced ecological sensitivity with human needs, creating an economy in which the spirit and the land were inseparable.

When the land, the natural system, thrives, so does the cultural knowledge and social systems that come with it. First Nations Systems Thinking

Healthy ecosystems provide food, medicine, and resources that nurture both physical and emotional health, creating stability and resilience within families and communities.

In return, the care and sustainable practices of people strengthens the land. This reciprocal relationality between people, culture, and Country is a foundational element of resilience, enriching both the natural world and the cultural identity of the community, serving as the foundation for sustainable governance and decision-making.

In practice: sustainable land management

The Noongar people recognise the land as a living, dynamic entity with needs and rhythms that must be respected. Their six-season calendar guides sustainable land practices based on deep observations of natural cycles. The knowledge of these seasonal cues, and the respective practices to be performed, is transferred intergenerationally, from Elders onto younger generations, preserving culture and caring for Country.

This cultural practice mirrors the principles of systems thinking, particularly the recognition of feedback loops and dynamic equilibrium. As seen in the sustainable land management techniques described by Pascoe, these practices were highly adaptive and ecocentric.

Makuru (June - July)

During the cold, wet season, Noongar people traditionally hunt animals that are naturally less active, protecting younger animals so they can repopulate for the next season, demonstrating a balanced sustainable way of managing animal populations.

Kambarang (October, November)

In the warmer weather, they focus on gathering plant resources as wildflowers bloom. Timing is crucial; allowing plants to complete their reproductive cycle promotes regeneration, ensuring that future generations of flora and fauna can thrive.

A blueprint for today's policymakers

Today, policymakers have a golden opportunity to invest in meaningful partnership with First Nations knowledge, crafting policies that respect the limits of our ecosystems and nurture the connections that sustain our world for future generations.

One key lesson from First Nations Systems Thinking for contemporary policy development is to recognise our systems' interconnectedness and the cascading impact of every decision on the broader ecosystem.

For instance, sustainable land management must consider both immediate and long-term effects on the environment, communities, and cultural heritage. This could be practically applied through sustainable urban planning, where developments are designed to integrate green spaces, account for natural water flows, and support biodiversity, ensuring that urban growth harmonises with ecological systems and remains viable for generations to come.

Adaptive resource management policies, inspired by the Noongar Six Season Calendar, can adopt flexible frameworks that adapt to changing environmental conditions, ensuring that resource management aligns with natural cycles. These measures not only respect Indigenous knowledge but also uphold intergenerational fairness by ensuring that future generations inherit a world that retains its environmental integrity and cultural richness.

As we face complex global challenges, we are called to implement policies that honour interconnectedness, recognising that our actions today shape the environment, culture, and resources that future generations will inherit. Through this commitment we can nurture a resilient, balanced planet for those yet to come.

Written by Maeson Harvey for the Foundations for Tomorrow team.

Additional reading and resources

Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe. Book, Magabala Books, 2014.
Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta. Book, HarperCollins Publishers, 2019.
Rethinking the Australian Curriculum through a Systems Thinking Perspective by Stephen Spain. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Dissertation, Murdoch University, 2021.
Indigenous Knowledge edited by Marcia Langton, Aaron Corn, and Samuel Kirkpatrick. Book, The Miegunyah Press, 2024.
Indigenous Systems Thinking by Tyson Yunkaporta with Dr Melanie Goodchild. The Other Others Podcast, 2021.