GIS Technology and Geo-Cultural Space

BioCultural Consulting's expertise and experience in GIS mapping and geo-cultural space design has been developed and refined across seventeen years of on-ground interfaces between Indigenous peoples, Government, Industry and non-Government organisations. Lead and collaborative lead responsibilities includes, developing spatial approaches and systems focusing on Indigenous governance, primary substantive rights, cultural heritage management, consultation, engagement, knowledge management, cultural landscape visualisation and cultural narratives. 

Capabilities are equally underpinned by traditional spatial mapping skills known as yulmbu (yoolm-boo) and central to a unique professional expertise in GIS mapping approaches. Yulmbu as a traditional spatial mapping process uses a series of dots and lines conveying meaning of direction or shape of pathways. Lines in various directions from individual dots indicate activity or action at specific geographical features or locations. 

Using both traditional and modern GIS mapping technologies and biocultural diversity knowledge, BioCultural Consulting supports Indigenous peoples to engage in early planning processes of activities that affect traditional lands and waters.     

The above Wunggomalli Model was a partnership between the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and the Giru Dala Council of Elders. Primary consultancy role assisted traditional knowledge holders in positive and defensive protection of their Indigenous intellectual property, and providing advice in the development of protocols and processes in which sacred, sensitive and communal knowledge could inform planning, conservation and management of cultural sites in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. 

As a key architect in the design, development and implementation of the Dugul Jambula System, taking leading edge approaches to knowledge management and spatial visualisation of Indigenous partnerships and projects. A substantial percentage of the system's IP was utlised in the ongoing design and development of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service's ParkInfo system.

Ongoing interactions in advocating for inclusion and understanding of Indigenous geo-cultural space in Australia includes - Greater Lockhart River Region World Heritage Consultation, UQ Mapping Geo-Cultural Space: GIS, Spatial Narratives, & Interdisciplinarity Workshop, Australian Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge Project, Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre and the 9th National Public Policy Congress 2013.