A groundbreaking partnership between Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation Ltd (NYFL) and the Australian National University will leverage a newly-established global centre for critical minerals to enhance the role of First Nations knowledge in the renewables transition.
Jila - meaning 'roots' in Yindjibarndi language – is an initiative centred on First Nations knowledge and community-driven solutions.
The term symbolises strength, sustainability and cultural resilience, and would serve as a foundation of the transformative collaboration announced on Thursday.
This partnership's core focus was on community-led research, the integration of cultural knowledge into education, and amplifying First Nations voices in shaping their own futures.
Jila forms part of the Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials, a new global research centre based in London tasked with ensuring Indigenous rights and more equitable society results from the clean energy transition.
The Jila initiative aims to ensure First Nations knowledge played a pivotal role driving sustainable and innovative solutions as the world heads towards its net-zero target by 2050.
NYFL chief executive Sean-Paul Stephens heralded the partnership as a "game-changer" for the community and Traditional Owners, with a detailed work plan to advance First Nations' rights and interests.
"Our focus on Ieramugadu (Roebourne) will see ANU and NYFL work together on key projects such as data sovereignty, truth-telling advocacy, and various social impact programs," Mr Stephens said.
ANU First Nations vice-president Peter Yu said embedding Indigenous knowledge systems within research and educational frameworks would help foster long-term resilience and sustainable outcomes for Indigenous people.
The global research centre aims to help ensure cultural knowledge was considered and respected in the renewables transition and First Nations Australians shared in economic prosperity arising from its development and production, 60 per cent of which is on recognised First Nations land and sea.
"The sense of urgency around this work is not just about our changing climate or the projections around the volume of minerals needed to replace fossil fuels in our global energy systems," Professor Yu said.
"It is equally rooted in fostering Indigenous rights and creating a more equitable society for all."
The London-based centre – created with an investment of $US150 million from Rio Tinto over the next 10 years – would be transformative in helping the world transition to renewable energy.
"It is exciting to be bringing together expertise from across a range of societal, Indigenous, environmental, scientific, social scientific, and technological perspectives," Professor Yu said.
The 'Jila' collaboration was a significant step to recognising the critical role First Nations knowledge plays in addressing today's challenges, while laying the groundwork for a more inclusive, equitable future.
Together with Rio Tinto, the Imperial College London would lead and act as a hub at the centre, with other leading global institutions including The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, The University of California, Berkeley and The University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
