This news post is part of a series for our website and quarterly newsletter where we are invite contributions from others who share our commitment to health equity. From partners, practitioners, students and more, we want to hear and support many voices in the conversation about improving health outcomes for rural and regional communities across Australia. This contribution comes from Stevie Wappett from the Northern Rivers based Jagun Alliance, a not for profit engaged in partnerships with First Nations communities, government organisations, local industries, motivated landholders and the wider community to care for, protect and restore country.
As an Aboriginal led not for profit charity, Jagun Alliance has a strong focus on Caring for Country through Community leadership and benefit sharing. We have a diverse range of community, government and sector partnerships and projects delivering positive impacts. Caring for Country means everything to us.
Jagun Alliance is on the ground, in the community and wherever we are welcomed to connect, listen, learn, act or share knowledge and practices that are good for Community and Country.
We are based in the Northern Rivers region of NSW and engage widely in purposeful partnerships with First Nations communities, government organisations, local industries, motivated landholders and the wider community to care for, protect and restore Jagun (Country).
Across all our work, healthy Country and healthy peoples is understood as one and the same. When we have a landscape that is respected, protected and cared for, people are benefited, and when people are healthy, they have the capacity and resilience to care for Country.
One of the most powerful examples of this is the role of cultural fire. For First Nations peoples, fire has been used as a tool for caring for Country since time immemorial. More than a land management practice, cultural burning embodies deep cultural knowledge, responsibility and connection to place. When applied appropriately, fire can support ecological health, reduce fuel loads, encourage regeneration and promote biodiversity. It is a cultural practice that brings people together, strengthens community connections and facilitates the transfer of knowledge between generations.
Through projects such as the Good Fire Gathering, Jagun Alliance has supported the revitalisation and sharing of cultural fire knowledge across the region. The project has contributed to strengthening local resilience, preparedness and adaptive capacity and addresses critical gaps in community capacity through practical on-ground activities, community workshops and opportunities for regional and national knowledge exchange. The project supports cross-sector learning and cooperation while strengthening the knowledge platforms needed for better environmental decision-making.
Cultural knowledge also plays a vital role in restoring and healing waterways. Healthy rivers, wetlands and riparian zones are essential to the wellbeing of our ecosystems and communities. In recent years, Jagun Alliance has worked alongside Knowledge Holders, local communities and private landholders to support cultural regeneration activities across Bundjalung Jagun through the Heal the Rivers project.
Central to this work is the understanding that caring for waterways is not only an environmental outcome but also a cultural responsibility. Restoring ecological health creates opportunities to strengthen cultural practices, support native species and reconnect communities with Country.
Knowledge sharing and intergenerational learning are equally important aspects of Jagun Alliance’s approach. Over the past two years, our Knowledge Sharing Project has focused on identifying local seasonal indicators and stories that provide insight into environmental changes and the rhythms of Country. These observations, developed over countless generations, continue to provide valuable guidance on how to care for Country and respond to environmental challenges.
Working alongside Knowledge Holders and schools across Bundjalung Jagun, Jagun Alliance facilitated interactive workshops that created opportunities for meaningful knowledge exchange. These gatherings explored how listening to Country, observing seasonal indicators and learning from local stories can strengthen our ability to care for Country while reducing our vulnerability to environmental risks through preparedness and mitigation.
This commitment to community-led knowledge is also reflected within our partnership with the University Centre for Rural Health. Jagun Alliance works alongside UCRH as the community advocate, branching key relationships and bringing important community perspectives to health research to ensure tangible outcomes. Jagun leads the community engagement component of the Healing Country project, working with expert Knowledge Holders across Bundjalung Country to understand the key health and wellbeing challenges Aboriginal peoples face against a changing climate. This knowledge is informing local climate resilience planning and supporting communities to prepare for future environmental challenges.
These projects demonstrate the strength of Aboriginal-led approaches to caring for Country, and the interconnectedness of Aboriginal wellbeing and the health of Country. Through cultural practice, knowledge sharing, partnerships and community leadership, Jagun Alliance continues to support healthier landscapes, stronger communities and a more resilient future for Bundjalung Jagun.
Find out more about our work www.jagunalliance.org.au
Photo credit: Jagun Alliance
