H5N1 is often discussed as a wildlife-health issue, a biosecurity issue and potentially a human-health issue.
But it is also a cultural issue.
Here Geoff Reid, First Nations Engagement Lead and Flow-MER First Nations MER Lead, One Basin CRC, shares what H5N1 could mean for First Nations peoples and Countries across the Murray-Darling Basin.
Birds are not separate from our cultures or Countries. They can be Totems, Ancestors, messengers and teachers. They are woven into our songs, stories, ceremonies, art, identity and seasonal knowledge. Birds also help keep Country healthy by spreading seeds, pollinating plants, controlling insects and connecting land, rivers, wetlands and sea Country.
For some communities, birds and their eggs remain important food sources. If bird populations are harmed, the effects may reach much further than the loss of individual animals. Communities could lose access to food, cultural practices, knowledge, significant species and parts of the living systems that have connected our peoples and Countries for thousands of years.
When birds are harmed, cultural systems and Country are harmed.
What does this mean for the Murray-Darling Basin?
The rivers, wetlands and floodplains of the Murray-Darling Basin provide important feeding, breeding and resting places for many bird species. Some live within the Basin throughout the year, while others travel across Countries, states and international borders.
Our peoples have observed these birds for countless generations. We know when particular birds arrive, where they feed, when they breed and how their movements respond to water, weather and the seasons. Changes in their behaviour, numbers or arrival times can tell us when something is not right on Country.
This knowledge can strengthen surveillance and early warning when it is brought together respectfully with veterinary science, ecology, wildlife health and public health. However, this must happen with the authority and consent of knowledge holders and in accordance with cultural protocols.
First Nations peoples, including ranger groups and those who spend time on remote Country, wetlands and waterways, may be among the first to notice sick birds, unusual behaviour or unexplained deaths.
But we cannot expect our people to take on this responsibility without support. If First Nations people are expected to help monitor and respond to H5N1, they must be included in planning and decision-making and provided with proper training, personal protective equipment, clear reporting processes, trusted contacts and adequate resources.
Nothing for us without us.
Birds connect Countries
Migratory birds remind us that Country does not end at a state or national border.
Through my involvement with Children of the Sky, a collective connecting First Nations peoples through the journey of the Bar-tailed Godwit, I have seen how birds connect communities across the world. We yarn about what is happening on our respective Countries and recognise that we share responsibilities for the birds that travel between us.
First Nations peoples have longstanding obligations to visitors to our lands, including migratory birds. We also have mutual obligations with First Nations communities in other parts of the world because we all have a role when the health of our Countries is at risk.
If disease disrupts these journeys, the consequences can travel across borders, affecting ecosystems, cultural relationships and communities along an entire migratory pathway. No single community, organisation or country can protect these birds alone.
A moving threat
The number and location of H5N1 detections are changing quickly. This is not a reason to panic, but it is a reason to be aware, prepared and connected.
If you see a group of sick or dead birds or other wildlife:
- Keep your distance and do not touch them.
- Record the location, date and time.
- Take photographs from a safe distance if possible.
- Report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.
Some questions for you
How are birds connected to the Country where you live and work?
Are there particular birds that signal changes in the seasons, water or health of Country?
What cultural impacts could occur if an important bird species disappeared from an area?
Are First Nations peoples being included in wildlife-health and emergency-response planning in your region?
If you found several sick or dead birds, would you know what to do and who to contact?
H5N1 preparedness must be designed with First Nations peoples, not presented to us after the plans have already been written. Our knowledge, presence on Country and cultural responsibilities must be recognised, respected and properly resourced.
Protecting birds is protecting Country. It is protecting culture, knowledge, relationships and the responsibilities we carry for future generations.
Listen early. Prepare together. Act with respect.