Hearing the country: Studies in Indigenous Australian ethnoecology

Australia is the site of a remarkable diversity of systems of knowledge. Indigenous knowledge systems and systems based on western scientific tradition have often been seen as the most distant poles on a continuum that ranges from myth to science. Continuing research in Australia shows that Indigenous ecological knowledge on this continent is detailed, localised and grounded in empirical observations. In addition, Indigenous knowledge is embedded within a system of ethics that is oriented toward long-term productivity. It is usual to contrast Indigenous knowledge with non-Indigenous systems of knowledge and care in order to show their divergence or even, in many instances, their oppositions.