Indigenous land connection shapes wellbeing in Canada and Australia
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Researchers interviewed Cree Elders in Canada and Widjabul and Jirrbal Elders in Australia to understand how connection to the land affects wellbeing and cultural sustainability.
Both Canada and Australia share a history as British colonies, but they approached Indigenous land rights differently. Canada signed treaties recognizing Indigenous rights, while Australia initially claimed the land as uninhabited, resulting in no treaties.
The study found that Elders from all three groups agreed that being on the land is vital for cultural wellbeing, providing sustenance, spiritual connection, and a way to pass on traditional knowledge. However, Cree Elders unanimously reported current cultural wellbeing, while responses from Widjabul and Jirrbal Elders varied, with some reporting wellbeing and others expressing uncertainty.
Widjabul and Jirrbal Elders explained that a lack of treaties in Australia created obstacles to accessing land, even when Native title existed, due to fences, private property, and government policies. Researchers suggest these differing treaty contexts influenced cultural wellbeing and connection to the land in the two countries, but did not change the belief that being on the land supports wellbeing.
