Anthropologists, lawyers, and others from the Northern Land Council (NLC) received and shared expertise with Sustainable Minerals Institute researchers in a face-to-face Indigenous Cultural Heritage Management workshop tailored to the Northern Territory context.
From 18–20 February in Darwin, Associate Professor Sarah Holcombe, Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) and Sarah Mackenzie, Senior Manager, Research and Knowledge Transfer at CSRM presented a bespoke workshop for the NLC, a statutory authority responsible for assisting about 51,000 Aboriginal people in the northern NT to manage their traditional lands and seas.
Assoc. Prof Holcombe, who has worked in this sector for almost 30 years, said the workshop provided an opportunity to strengthen collaboration across the organisation as participants share different perspectives on the challenges they are facing and work together to identify opportunities to strengthen cultural heritage protection and management.
Almost 60 per cent of Australia’s critical minerals projects are located on lands where Indigenous peoples have a right to negotiate and industry, government and communities need expertise in the management of Indigenous cultural heritage, particularly after sacred site destruction in Bootu Creek, Juukan Gorge and many others. Much of the NT is either Aboriginal Land Trust or areas where there is a registered claim or determination of Native Title.
“Cultural heritage management is such a dynamic space and ensuring that Traditional Owners across the Top End have the best possible expertise and support to maintain and protect their tangible and intangible cultural heritage resources is paramount,” Assoc Prof. Holcombe said and added that the workshop was based on CSRM’s six-week online professional development programme, Indigenous Cultural Heritage Management in the Australian Resources Sector, delivered each year since 2021.
“Collaborating with Indigenous organisations to support critical reflection on current practices and to build on and improve them is fundamental for ensuring knowledge translation and impact,” said CSRM Director Professor Deanna Kemp.
NLC CEO, Yuseph Deen, on the significance of the workshop’s timing, stated, “This comes at a pivotal time for the Northern Territory as the political, legislative and cultural landscape is shifting”
“Within the past few weeks, we’ve seen a number of significant and concerning legislative changes that weaken heritage and Sacred Site laws here in the Northern Territory. These changes have the potential to hamstring Traditional Owners’ power and autonomy over their cultural heritage and Sacred Sites.
“Despite this, the NLC continues to learn, adapt and keep the fire burning and workshops like this can serve to strengthen the NLC to deliver positive outcomes for Traditional Owners in the Top End.”
Sarah Mackenzie said the workshop participants were excited to learn and share their experiences with the researchers and each other.
“We tried to ensure the workshop was as interactive as possible, and we really appreciated everyone’s engagement throughout the three days” she says.
