A national research project has delivered a framework for how species and ecosystems of deep cultural importance to Indigenous Australians should be recognised in environmental policy and conservation.

The study explored the concept of Culturally Significant Entities (CSE) — animals, plants and ecological communities that are vital to cultural identity, knowledge systems and the health of Country.

Led by Professor Stephen van Leeuwen and Dr Teagan Shields at Curtin University, and funded through the National Environmental Science Program Resilient Landscape Hub, the research establishes a nationally consistent definition of CSE and sets out a pathway to embed Indigenous Knowledge and governance into land and sea management.

“Despite strong cultural importance, Culturally Significant Entities are not recognised in the same systematic way as threatened species under legislation,” Dr Shields said. “The project’s findings call for a shift in how governments engage with Indigenous Australians, from viewing them as stakeholders to recognising them as rights-holders with cultural authority and responsibilities for Country.”