Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre and Biodiscovery
© Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre
In tropical north Queensland, the Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre (TIEC) is Australia’s first Indigenous-driven ethnobotanical research centre supporting the conservation, management, use and communication of traditional ecological knowledge.
Background
Indigenous Australians have used plants for food, medicine, fibre, weapons, musical instruments and ceremonies for thousands of years. Their knowledge has been passed down orally through generations. While much traditional plant use knowledge has unfortunately been lost, First Nations peoples are still accessing and using traditional plant knowledge today.
The study of the cultural use and relationship between plants and people is known as ethnobotany. Indigenous peoples’ strong and diverse presence on Country presents an opportunity to work with traditional knowledge and management systems and strengthen community awareness of biocultural diversity. Indigenous knowledge is recognised globally for its potential value in contemporary biodiversity conservation, management and biodiscovery.
The Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre
In 2009, Traditional Owners in North Queensland identified that an ethnobotany research and resource centre could support them in conserving, managing, using and communicating their traditional ecological knowledge. The Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre (TIEC) is Australia’s first Indigenous-driven ethnobotanical research centre established to meet this need.
TIEC is a partnership between Traditional Owners, the Queensland Government, CSIRO, James Cook University's Cairns Institute, and the Australian Tropical Herbarium joint venture. It is housed at the Australian Tropical Herbarium on James Cook University's Cairns campus in tropical north Queensland.
Working closely with Traditional Custodians, TIEC:
- bridges traditional ecological knowledge and Western plant science
- records and preserves Indigenous Australian plant cultural knowledge
- promotes awareness of traditional ecological knowledge through training and education
- develops projects and partnerships of mutual benefit with Traditional Owner groups
- promotes research conducted in a respectful and culturally appropriate way.
TIEC activities include:
- plant surveys on Country
- the recording of traditional plant use and other cultural knowledge
- documenting traditional names and uses
- the development of ethnobotany databases
- mentoring students of ethnobotanical studies.
Biodiscovery in Queensland
Biodiscovery involves the collection and screening of small amounts of native biological resources (e.g. plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms) to identify bioactive compounds for commercial purposes, such as pharmaceuticals and insecticides.
In Queensland, Biodiscovery activities are regulated under the Biodiscovery Act 2004 (the Act). The Act:
- establishes an access and benefit-sharing framework for biodiscovery in Queensland
- warrants that biodiscovery entities act appropriately when accessing or using traditional knowledge for biodiscovery
- ensures biodiscovery enhances knowledge of the state’s biological diversity
- promotes conservation and the sustainable use of native biological resources.