The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is located within the traditional Country of Gunditjmara. As such, Gunditjmara have long-held rights, responsibilities and

obligations to care for Country based on continuing traditional and continuing Gunditjmara knowledge and practices.

Gunditjmara cultural traditions, knowledge and practices are evident in Gunditjmara aquaculture; as manifest in the changing practices of kooyang (eel) management, storage, harvesting and the associated manipulation, modification and management of water flows. Gunditjmara aquaculture knowledge and practices are also inclusive of sourcing grasses for the weaving of gnarraban (kooyang baskets), traditional representations of Gunditjmara aquaculture (for example, the complex designs produced on possum skin cloaks), adaptation of traditional catching techniques (for example, use of wire mesh baskets and wood crates for holding kooyang) and contemporary, creative artistic expressions of Gunditjmara aquaculture – evidenced in story-telling, dance, song, crafted objects and sculpture.

Ownership is a key element for the effective protection and management of the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape. However, access to and ownership of the land was denied to Gunditjmara during great part of the 19th century when, after the arrival of British colonial invaders, Gunditjmara Country was occupied and access to the land became increasingly denied to Gunditjmara Traditional Owners until the 1980s. Nevertheless, and throughout the period of colonisation, the Gunditjmara retained connections to the aquaculture system through knowledge of the stories of Budj Bim and associated land-use practices.

From 1984, land was increasingly returned to and purchased by Gunditjmara Traditional Owners. In 2007, with the recognition of the native title rights of Gunditjmara, some parts of Country were returned to Gunditjmara. Today, Aboriginal organisations own and manage the World Heritage site of Budj Bim with the exception of Budj Bim National Park, which is co-operatively managed by the Gunditjmara Traditional Owners and the Victorian Government.

The ownership of the land enables Gunditjmara cultural traditions, knowledge and practices to be expressed in the present and into the future as a consequence of the recognition of both Gunditjmara custodial and native title rights and obligations.

The protection of the Kayas is directly dependent to the protection of both the natural and the cultural – both tangible and intangible – attributes/elements of the site and its traditional knowledge system and practices. This need for integrated protection is not only reflected at the local level though the recognition of custodianship, sacredness and the important bio-cultural role of the Kayas but it is also recognized and protected internationally through the inscription of the site on the list of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (inscribed as the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests) and the inclusion of the Traditions and practices associated with the Kayas in the sacred forests of the Mijikenda in the list of elements in Need of Urgent Safeguarding of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The double inscription offers an added international framework to tackle both the protection of the natural and cultural heritage as well as the Outstanding Universal Value of the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests. Additionally, it supports efforts made in directly addressing the need to urgently and proactively engage with the safeguarding of traditions that are facing significant challenges and might one day disappear.

The protection of the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya forests is ensured through a double set of traditional and legal measures that interact with each other to protect the place and ensure the livelihood of communities and peoples. On top of the existing traditional regulatory framework of the Mijikenda and the Council of Elders (Kambi), all the 10 Kaya forests inscribed on the World Heritage List and many of these sacred forests have also been registered as national monuments under the provisions of the National Museums and Heritage Act, which mandates the Kenyan government to support the kaya elders in the protection of the Kayas. The original registration of 22 kaya forests in 1992 has sparked the need to establish a new dedicated unit – the Coastal Forest Conservation Unit - within the National Museums of Kenya whose work is still today focused on working in partnership with the kaya elders for the protection of these places.

The protection of the Kaya forests of coastal Kenya is a primary matter of the Mijikenda, nine Bantu-speaking ethnic groups (Chonyi, Duruma, Digo, Giriama, Jibana, Kambe, Kauma, Rabai and Ribe). The Mijikenda peoples recognize their origins in the Kaya forests and they have established traditional regulatory systems and codes of ethics based on the sacredness of the Kaya forests and the practice of spiritual and sacred traditional performances like prayers, oath taking, burials, charms, naming of newly born, initiations, reconciliations, coronations and others. The use of natural resources within the Kaya forests is regulated through the traditional knowledge and practices of the Mijikeda. These practices forbid any active and commercial exploitation of natural resources, and they allow only for the collection of dead logs and plants used for spiritual and medicinal purposes. These traditional practices contribute to the conservation of the biodiversity of these forests.

The observation of these codes of ethics is supervised by the Council of Elders (Kambi) and the spiritual leaders of the Mijikenda people, which are in charge of ensuring that traditional regulatory systems are not breached and the forest is respected

The Mijikenda Kaya Forest are small patches of forest land that extend between 10 and 400 ha on the coastal plains of Kenya. They were originally created in the 16th century as places of settlement but after their abandonment in the 1940s these places have been defined mostly for their spiritual and religious values. The Kaya forests play a key role in the Mijikenda religious sphere, their beliefs and practices as they are regarded as the ancestral and sacred homes of the Mijikenda peoples.

The protection of the Mijikenda Kaya Forests require an holistic and integrated approach based on both natural and cultural values as well as the recognition of the role of the Mijikenda in the conservation of the site through traditional knowledge systems and the recognition of the sacredness of these places. This multilayered identification and protection of values is fundamental for the protection of the site and its people in their wholeness: from the safeguarding of their sacredness to the conservation of their bio-cultural diversity.

It is important to think not only at managing and conserving in today’s world but also at ensuring long-term conservation through outreach and awareness raising activities aimed at informing and empowering future generations. In an effort to prepare the next generation that would appreciate its heritage, the Mosi-Oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls World Heritage Site has developed a heritage conservation club at the Palm Grove school. The school is located within the boundaries of the World Heritage Property and this has offered an opportunity to work in close cooperation with the school management. During weekly club meetings, staff of Mosi-Oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls teach basic heritage conservation lessons and undertake conservation activities in teaching grades 4 to 8.

This ongoing sensitization on the importance of heritage conservation to teachers and pupils is critical. Outdoor activities such as visits to museums, the National Park and other heritage sites has proven to be very effective in developing interest in pupils and to effectively communicate to heritage values to them. Stakeholders such as tour operators have been sensitized on the program and they were given a role to played in supporting the program.

Through the recognition of the cultural significance of the site, an important aspect for the effective management and conservation of Mosi-Oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls has been the inclusion of traditional knowledge systems in the integrated management plan for the site. The spiritual and religious values of the site are of high importance for communities and people and their maintenance, management and conservation is carried out traditionally by these communities. These values are embodied by the shrines located in various sites of the site.

The inclusion of these practices as part of the integrated management strategy of the site has led to an enhanced commitment and responsibility from these communities and vitalized the cooperation with the institutions involved in the management of the site. Community stewardship is a key strategic objective of the management activities.

As culture is not static but dynamic in nature, it is important to document the belief and practices of the cultural practices attached to the falls. It is important to acknowledge that by site management facilitating traditional practices in the site, it solidifies the sense of ownership among the communities and local people. This is important in ensuring effective management of the site values is attained.