Wartaji (dingoes) are a cultural keystone species for Nyangumarta and other Indigenous people across Australia, carrying ecological and cultural significance. Yet Indigenous people have been historically marginalised in dingo research and management, resulting in approaches that overlook cultural authority and restrict opportunities for Indigenous-led custodianship. This project partners CQUniversity researchers with Nyangumarta Rangers and Traditional Owners on the Nyangumarta Warrarn Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). One of the aims of this project is to understand the biocultural role of dingoes within Nyangumarta Country by documenting Cultural Knowledge and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK).
Cultural knowledge is being gathered through snowball sampling, yarning-style semi-structured interviews, ranger and Elder workshops, and on-Country field work. Creative and culturally embedded practices, such as collecting stories, artworks, and potentially songs, will be used to support Indigenous ways of sharing and transmitting knowledge. TEK will be used to guide ecological observations, data collection and inform methodological design.
Planned outputs include contributions to the Nyangumarta seasonal calendar, educational posters for community use, and resources that reflect Nyangumarta perspectives on the behaviour, roles, and significance of wartaji. Emerging findings highlight the depth and richness of Nyangumarta knowledge, including understandings of wartaji behaviour, seasonal movements, ecological relationships, and cultural responsibilities and significance. The process itself has strengthened ranger-led monitoring, supported intergenerational knowledge sharing, clarified the cultural significance of wartaji within Nyangumarta Country, and demonstrated how TEK can improve the efficiency of Western ecological observations.
Our work has improved the cultural understanding and ecological importance of dingoes and helps place Nyangumarta perspectives at the centre of how dingoes are understood and cared for on Country. The resulting framework strengthens cultural authority and offers a pathway toward more respectful, equitable, and culturally appropriate natural-resource management.