FOG acknowledgment of First Nations Peoples

Adopted 29th September 2023

Full statement:

Friends of Grasslands (FOG) acknowledges and celebrates First Nations Peoples, the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters on which we live and work. We respect their elders past and present.

FOG is dedicated to supporting, managing and restoring grassy ecosystems. We recognise the important role of First Nations Peoples as stewards of country for over 60,000 years, and their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We appreciate that grassy ecosystems are cultural landscapes harmoniously cared for by several thousands of generations. We recognise the need to manage healthy landscapes to support traditional and ongoing social, economic, cultural and spiritual values. We appreciate and thank the First Nations Peoples for their preparedness to share their knowledge of traditional land management and culture.

FOG respects traditional knowledge for the management of natural resources and the achievement of sustainable development. We are committed to mutual learning between scientific and traditional knowledge holders to enhance outcomes for our nation as a whole.

FOG undertakes to:

We look forward to continuing to work alongside First Nations Peoples and to learn from them to improve the health of our nation’s grassy ecosystems for the benefits of all peoples.

Short statement:

Friends of Grasslands (FOG) acknowledges and celebrates First Nations Peoples, the Traditional Custodians of the grassy ecosystems that we strive to conserve. We respect their elders past and present. We appreciate that grassy ecosystems are cultural landscapes. We commit to collaborating with Traditional Custodians to manage grassy ecosystems to support traditional and ongoing social, economic, cultural and spiritual values.