Geoscience Indigenous Collaboration and Engagement Specialist Group (GICE)
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Purpose
The GSA Geoscience Indigenous Collaboration and Engagement Specialist Group (GICE) provides strategic direction and leadership to the Australian Earth science community to ensure that Earth science is inclusive of, and equitable for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the lands, seas and waters where Australian Earth science is designed, conducted and realised for national human and environmental benefit.
GICE’s Vision is of equitable Earth science in Australia that is open and inclusive of Indigenous and non-Indigenous contributions to benefit Australians and their environments.
GICE plan to provide the strategic direction and leadership through workshops, and lectures where not only geoscientists but also Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and individuals to showcase how collaboration can improve the Earth science community. This will also build awareness in the community to some of the challenges but many benefits greater collaboration with Indigenous communities can have.
GICE is guided by current resources to support best practice including Our Knowledge, Our Way guidelines, the Australian Business Guide to Implementing the UN Declaration of Right of Indigenous Peoples and the Priority Reforms outlined in the National Agreement in Closing the Gap (Closing the Gap). It seeks further guidance in its activities from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) or a similar Indigenous-led advisory body when needed.
GICE's History
This small group formed in early 2021 out of discussions between AuScope, Geoscience Australia and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) on how Australia's publicly funded geoscience community can better ally with, take the educational load off, engage with, and facilitate transfer of knowledge between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the Earth science community, where they work across Australia.
The first public activity GICE organised was the Ancient Rocks, Ancient Culture, and You workshop at the Australasian Exploration Geoscience Conference in September 2021. This workshop was led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders in Australian science and geoscience and supported by a small team of scientists from AuScope, CSIRO – Mineral Resources and Geoscience Australia. The workshop reflections are outlined in an article that can be read here the article includes feedback from participants as well as an overview of the topics the workshop addressed.
Since September 2021, the GICE committee has launched a survey to better understand the topics the Earth science community would like to learn about in future surveys. This survey was launched during National Reconciliation Week 2022 through a news article posted on the AuScope website and social media pages.
Terms of Reference
Download here
How to join
Instructions for current GSA Members to join GICE online
1. Go to http://www.gsa.org.au/and click Sign In at the top of the homepage.
2. Enter your sign in details (your username will be your email address)
3. Click Cart at the top of the homepage.
4. Click Continue Shopping
5. Scroll down the page and select GEOSCIENCE INDIGENOUS COLLABORATION AND ENGAGEMENT
6. Click Add to Cart
7. Click Proceed to Checkout to make your payment.
Instructions for non members to join the GSA and GICE
Click here to go to our Join page and start the membership application process
Events
Upcoming
Links
Ancient rocks, ancient culture, and you
Workshop reflection: connecting through curiosity