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Session CH1.1: Indigenous archaeologies and the urban environment: maintaining our culture and heritage

1. Dave Johnston: An 'Ochre Card' for Australian Industry: Yet another Urban Indigenist archaeological expression

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Abstract

Across Australia, where developments are taking place both  in rural and urban settings, Industry participants, governed by law and their own individual company rules have strict procedures for health and safety, environmental policies etc. We see 'green cards', 'blue cards' and 'yellow cards', signifying  attainments of achievement in some Industry related environment. In  this paper, Indigenous archaeologist, Dave Johnston discusses the  concept of an 'Ochre Card'. The connotations of such a card, Dave argues could provide a more formal, meaningful and potentially accredited Indigenous run process of Indigenous Cultural Heritage Awareness training for individual  Industry proponents and their staff.

Author bio:

Dave is an Indigenous archaeologist and Director of his Company Aboriginal Archaeologists Australia.  He works as the community appointed archaeologist for many Traditional Owner groups throughout Queensland, NSW, Victoria and the ACT.  He is a Member of the ACT Heritage Council; Member of the Commonwealth’s Indigenous Advisory Committee on Environment and Heritage (IAC); Member of the ACT Museum and Gallery’s Advisory Committee and has developed and teaches (part time) an Indigenous Perspectives in Archaeology Course at the Australian National University. Dave has long pursued an ethical approach to Indigenous heritage and its management upholding custodians’ obligations and rights.

2.Mark Dugay-Grist: Moving around the landscape; we all go home - be it physical and/or spiritual

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Abstract

This paper will look at the movement of Aboriginal people in the landscape both in todays world and that of yesteryear. Aboriginal people have always moved around the landscape. In traditional times we would go to our great Axis Mundi areas and celebrate our ethos. Since colonisation some of us have moved to the cities and urban hubs whilst still having a sense of our Aboriginality and in many cases our responsibilities to our homeland and people. This paper will concentrate on the dramatic changes that have happened to our people over the past few hundred years. It will also explore what has not changed over the past few hundred years, via personal accounts of people who have lived the experience and those that are still living the experience.

Author bio:

Mark Dugay-Grist is an Australian Aboriginal man. He belongs to the peoples of the Wergaia , Wamba Wamba and Nyeri Nyeri. He grew up with traditional stories of his people as told to him by Meemie (Grandmother). Mark is a trained archaeologist; studied at the Australian National University majoring in archaeology and anthropology. Mark has spent many years recording and protecting Aboriginal heritage sites throughout Australia. Mark has been at the forefront of recording biological information from Australian Aboriginal remains and has contributed significantly to the return of Aboriginal remains to various Aboriginal communities throughout Australia. Mark was for a period of six years the Curator for South-eastern Australia at the Victorian State Museum. He continues his relationship with the state museum as an Honorary Associate. He worked as a private heritage practitioner for two years before returning to the state government to enhance the state of Victoria’s Heritage Program as the Manager of Statewide Heritage Programs. Mark is presently employed as the State Heritage Adviser for the Victorian Department for Planning and Community Development.

3. Robyne Bancroft: Working in Regional Forests and with the Aboriginal Community

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Abstract

Forested landscapes contain much evidence of Aboriginal use of and spiritual links to the land.  Forests NSW reviewed Aboriginal cultural heritage management in consultation with Aboriginal communities, aiming to develop systems that better consider the landscape context of sites and provide for efficient protection and greater involvement of Aboriginal communities in decision making.

Author bio:

Robyne Bancroft is of Gumbaingerr/Bundjalung descent.  She is a graduate in Archaeology from the Australian National University.  Robyne works in Forests NSW as a Cultural Heritage and Sites Officer.  This involves a lot of consultation, liaison and communication with the 17 Aboriginal communities who live within the 600km area which makes up the North East Region  of New South Wales.

4. Steve Free: Case Studies of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) New South Wales regulation for the effective protection, conservation and management of Aboriginal cultural heritage in urban areas in south eastern New South Wales.

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Abstract

This paper presents a range of case studies regulated by the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) involving Aboriginal sites and places that have been impacted by the ever increasing urban expansion in coastal and inland New South Wales. Case studies include Aboriginal human skeletal burial sites impacted by infrastructure developments such as private dwelling renovations, coastal tourist resort upgrades and developments, sewerage upgrades, road upgrades/realignments and large scale residential subdivisions. The paper concludes asking the question to the audience of the role of archaeology in assisting Commonwealth and State Governments in initiating and developing strategies beyond monitoring the effects of climate change to effectively deal with the future impacts to Aboriginal
cultural heritage in the urban environment.

Author bio:

Stephen Mark Free is an Aboriginal person from the Yorta Yorta people from Echuca in Victoria.  He was born on 23 March 1966 in Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria as a member of the stolen generation (Atkinson mob) and currently lives in Queanbeyan NSW.  Stephen is a qualified archaeologist graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in archaeology from the Australian National University in Canberra in 1993. Stephen currently is employed as the manager of the Aboriginal Heritage Regulation Unit in the Environment Protection & Regulation Group South of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW) NSW, based in Queanbeyan NSW.  Stephen’s position involves the effective regulation and processing of the statutory instruments related to Aboriginal heritage impacts and assessments under Part 6 of the National Parks and Wildlife Act NSW 1974.  DECCW is responsible for the protection and conservation of Aboriginal objects and places and the decision-maker for Aboriginal Heritage Impact Permit applications and provides specific protection for Aboriginal objects and places.  The position manages DECCW archaeologists for South Branch which encompasses Broken Hill to Mildura to Eden to Nowra NSW covering 46 Local Government Areas. 

Stephen’s employment history includes positions as the Aboriginal Heritage Planning Officer DECC NSW, Senior Policy Officer Commonwealth DEH, Assistant Director Commonwealth DEH, Senior Policy Officer Commonwealth ATSIC/ATSIS, Senior Project Officer Commonwealth DCITA, Principal Consultant Yacaaba Archaeological Services NSW, Research Officer Department of Fisheries NSW, Consultant Archaeologist Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council Port Stephens NSW, Senior Policy Officer Department of Aboriginal Affairs NSW, Archaeologist and Aboriginal Heritage Officer National Parks and Wildlife Service and NSW Research Officer, Australian Institute of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Studies in Canberra. Stephen’s affiliations include being a member of the Australian Archaeological Association (AAA), member of the World Archaeological Congress (WAC), a Director of the Australian Indigenous Archaeologists Association (AIAA) and member of the Ngunnawal (voting) Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC), Wagonga LALC (associate) and Worimi LALC (associate) NSW. Stephen’s interests are Aboriginal self determination, Australian archaeology and sport.