August 2024
Rikki Tanika Dank, known by her Country as Lludibpina Noralima, is a Gudanji and Wakaya person and a traditional owner from the Karranjini Rruburriya. She’s a registered nurse and previously ran an Aboriginal Art gallery. Recently, Rikki stepped up to protect her land from the threat of hydraulic fracturing projects.
While nursing is Rikki's profession, her dedication goes beyond healthcare. She is the Director of Gudanji For Country, a grassroots First Nations organisation. The group was formed to give a voice to her clan, the Karanjini Rruburriya of the Gudanji nation, as they work to care for and protect their land. Gudanji For Country is focused on finding ways to prevent the destruction of their land and educating the wider community on climate change, environmental threats, and how they can be stopped.
Why Take Action on Climate Change?
We seek a sustainable future where we can continue to practise and share our culture and indigenous knowledge systems with the wider community, as we walk together.”
Rikki explains that protecting their Country isn’t just about preserving their culture, land, and future – it’s also about protecting the environment for everyone.
We realise that our actions in protecting Country serve not only our own interests (in protecting our culture, our Country, our non-human kin and our future) but also the interests of all global citizens in protecting our environment and our future. We realise the importance of participating in conversations about living sustainably with our planet.”
She believes it’s vital to be part of the conversation on how to live sustainably with the planet.
Current Projects
Some of the projects Gudanji For Country is working on include:
- International collaboration to reduce the demand for fossil fuels.
- Sustainable farming on Country to reduce dependence on extractive industries, helping keep people on Country.
- Sharing knowledge and experiences to support the wider climate and social justice movements.
Positive Outcomes
Their climate action efforts have led to several positive outcomes, such as:
- Collaborations with grassroots and larger climate action organisations.
- Increased political engagement.
- Ongoing discussions about legal remedies.
- Growing international collaboration.
Looking ahead, Rikki is committed to pushing for a genuine shift towards a zero-emissions future, with stronger government action and public support. She also wants more investment in the transition to renewable energy and increased engagement with First Nations and grassroots communities affected by climate change. Rikki hopes for honest discussions about energy use and how we can all reduce our reliance on harmful methods of energy production to mitigate the damage they cause.