First Law a gift to healing and transforming climate and just us!
Authors: Poelina Anne 
Published: October 2024

Purpose

These words of introduction locate me on my tribal ancestral lands, and centres me as belonging to the Martuwarra, Fitzroy River in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. My family and community’s inter-generational lived experiences of colonisation are grounded in the characteristics and learnings of “conflict, manipulation, dived and rule” as invasive unjust strategies of oppression and anti-dialogic action. These characteristics of oppression reflect invasive and unjust developments, colonialism continues to impact on our daily lives and threaten our cultural heritage, lifeways and livelihoods (Freire, 2005).

Design/methodology/approach

I understand the Net Zero: Heritage for Climate Action is a first of its kind, a capacity development project that aims to use Indigenous knowledge to develop integrated strategies for disaster risk reduction, climate action and peacebuilding (Jarillo and Crivelli, 2024). Importantly, one of the aims of the Net Zero Project is to enhance risk reduction and coping capacities of vulnerable heritage communities. In this way, my video story speaking directly to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) highlights the interconnected issue of heritage safeguard, upholding cultural rights and sustainable development of our people who are vulnerable cultural bearers, importantly, how we are working to effect change locally, while strengthening efforts globally, as we see ourselves as planetary citizens with a duty of care to Mother Earth and humanity (Redvers et al., 2020).

Findings

The opportunity for freedom is being created through the growing coalitions of hope (Poelina, 2020). Organisations with a regenerative focus are connecting, networking, collectively thinking and transforming our world by being brave and challenging legal systems to recognise “rivers” as the lifeblood of our planet and our survival co-dependent on “a declaration of peace with Indigenous Australians with natures laws and first law” (RiverOfLife et al., 2024). Together we are decolonising our thinking; uniting and bringing together a pluriverse of ideas and actions to right size our planet and give humanity and Mother Earth a climate chance (RiverOfLife et al., 2024).

Research limitations/implications

The final question, I ask my country and the world to sustain my culture, my home, my lifeways and my livelihood “can we achieve peace, harmony and balance”? Can we shift from business as usual, to the new economies, through intentional communities, through bicultural and bioregional planning and development? If the answer is yes, then there is hope for humanity, and the young ones yet to be born. Let us adopt the values, ethics and virtues found in First Law as a gift to healing our lands, our people and climate.

Practical implications

It is clear from the voices of Yi-Martuwarra people, “If [our] River Dies, We Die” (Moore et al., 2023). When we stand united, we hold the dreaming time, from past, present and future, and we sing together a new “Martuwarra River Time” song. Through this moral and ethical partnership of hope the Net Zero Project Heritage for Climate Action ignites the opportunity to transform climate change, climate chaos and provide the climate chance through just us!

Social implications

Yi-Martuwarra people highlight the need for dialogue, unity, cooperation and multiple forms of evidence, to understand the cumulative impacts of development. It is clear from the voices of Yi-Martuwarra people, “If [our] River Dies, We Die” (Moore et al., 2023). When we stand united, we hold the dreaming time, from past, present, and future, and we sing together a new “Martuwarra River Time” song. Through this moral and ethical partnership of hope the Net Zero Project Heritage for Climate Action ignites the opportunity to transform climate change, climate chaos and provide the climate chance through just us!

Originality/value

As the impacts of climate change continue to intensify, it is imperative to centre Indigenous well-being in adaptation efforts by enabling bottom-up approaches via community-led solutions, promoting land rights, protecting traditional heritage and cultural practices and cultivating social connections. Given the increasing recognition of well-being as a fundamental marker of successful adaptation, it should be central to climate change research and policymaking, but for this to be of benefit to Indigenous Peoples and local communities context-specific understandings of health and well-being are necessary (Jarillo and Crivelli, 2024).