For tens of thousands of years, Traditional Owners have used fire to care for Country, and to maintain balance between people, plants and animals. When people were displaced from their homelands in the mid-twentieth century, those careful cycles of burning stopped. Without the rhythm of cultural fire management, large, uncontrolled wild-fires began sweeping through the ...
The Karrkad Kanjdji Trust
Bringing First Nations climate solutions to COP31
GOAL
$50,000
Australia
Field of Interest
- Environment conservation and climate change
- First Nations communities
Target Population
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
The Karrkad Kanjdji Trust
The Karrkad Kanjdji Trust (KKT) is a philanthropic trust that was founded in 2010 by First Nations communities of Arnhem Land (northern Australia), to support their vision of returning to their very remote ancestral homelands; reinstating their customary land management practices and creating a future wherein their people can thrive again.
Project Summary
For tens of thousands of years, Traditional Owners have used fire to care for Country, and to maintain balance between people, plants and animals. When people were displaced from their homelands in the mid-twentieth century, those careful cycles of burning stopped. Without the rhythm of cultural fire management, large, uncontrolled wild-fires began sweeping through the region, destroying the environment and releasing enormous amounts of carbon.
Today, Indigenous rangers are bringing that knowledge back, combining ancient practice with modern science to light the right fires, in the right place, at the right time. The result is one of the world's most successful nature-based climate solutions, known as savanna burning.
The Ground Truth will be a feature-length documentary by Arnhem Land Fire Abatement (ALFA), supported by Karrkad Kanjdji Trust (KKT). Filmed on Country throughout 2026, it will follow Elders, rangers, and young leaders as they use savanna burning to care for Country and reduce carbon emissions — culminating in a global premiere at COP31.
By bringing First Nations voices from Australia’s North to the UN's most significant annual climate summit, we will ensure that Indigenous leadership and ecological wisdom are heard where the climate agenda is set — shifting the narrative from tokenism to genuine partnership.
This is an invitation to our friends and philanthropic supporters help bring the advocacy and impact of this film to life: to support a project that informs, inspire and strengthens the foundations of Indigenous environmental governance and intergenerational pride on an international scale.
Project Outcomes
1. Elevate Indigenous leadership in climate solutions, bringing Traditional Owners’ expertise in fire management to global audiences ahead of COP31.
2. Strengthen community pride and intergenerational knowledge, ensuring cultural and ecological stories are passed down through film.
3. Influence public and policy understanding of Indigenous carbon projects as credible, effective climate action.
3. Increase visibility and investment in Indigenous-led land management through authentic, powerful storytelling.
4. Safeguard cultural knowledge and stories, ensuring they are carried forward for future generations across Arnhem Land.
5. Dispel misinformation and strengthen understanding of Indigenous carbon projects as credible, high-integrity climate solutions.
Budget Breakdown
TOTAL BUDGET: $500,000
FUNDING
| Funding source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Funding gap | $50,000 |
EXPENSES
| Expense item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Production - Director fee, crew costs, travel, filming on Country, equipment hire and editing | $400,000 |
| Media and Engagement - Public relations, communications materials, and partnerships for pre-launch and COP31 campaigns | $50,000 |
| Post-launch education and impact activities - Educational toolkits, community screenings, investor briefings and evaluation. | $50,000 |
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