Indigenous Australians Protect the Past The Conservancy has
teamed up with local Indigenous Landholders and the Australian
Government to conserve over 2 million hectares of land in
Northern Australia. Covered from head to toe in a ghostly shade
of ochre, members of the White Cockatoo Performing Group dance
among the tall grasses and rocky escarpments of Arnhem Land in
northern Australia. These Indigenous Australian dancers are
celebrating an historic event — the declaration of two new
protected areas that together span 2 million hectares and
conserve ancient rock art paintings that tell incredible stories
of an intricate connection between the indigenous people and
their natural world. The new areas — known as the Warddeken and
Djelk Indigenous Protected Areas — are protected by a
partnership between The Nature Conservancy, the Pew Environment
Group, the Australian Federal Government and Indigenous
landholders. And, with ongoing support from the Conservancy,
Traditional Owners will continue to manage these ma