AnAustralian Aboriginal sacred site is a place deemed significant and meaningful byAboriginal Australians based on theirbeliefs. It may include any feature in the landscape, and in coastal areas, these may lie underwater. The site's status is derived from an association with some aspect of social andcultural tradition, which is related to ancestral beings, collectively known asDreamtime (or the Dreaming/s), who created both physical and social aspects of the world. The site may have its access restricted based ongender,clan orother Aboriginal grouping, or other factors.
The sites are protected by variousstate- and territory-based legislation as part ofAustralian heritage laws, and the federalAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 can be invoked as a "last resort" if the site is not considered adequately covered by legislation in the jurisdiction. The legislation also protects sites ofarchaeological, historical and cultural significance relating to Aboriginal peoples that may be unrelated to beliefs, and more commonly thought of asAboriginal Australian heritage sites. States and territories maintain registers of sites of Indigenous significance with searchableonline databases. Despite the legislation, some sites are still threatened by mining and other operations. One notable example in recent times was the culturally and archaeologically significant rock shelter atJuukan Gorge in thePilbara, destroyed byRio Tinto's blasting in the course of mining exploration in May 2020.
The Aboriginal population of Australia is made up ofhundreds of peoples or nations, each with their own sacred places, animaltotems and other items in the geographic area known as their country,[1] or traditional lands.
Sacred sites are places within the landscape that have a special significance under Aboriginal tradition. Hills, rocks, waterholes, trees, plains and other natural features may be sacred sites. In coastal and sea areas, sacred sites may include features which lie both above and below water. Sometimes sacred sites are obvious, such as ochre deposits, rock art galleries, or spectacular natural features. In other instances sacred sites may be unremarkable to an outside observer. They can range in size from a single stone or plant, to an entire mountain range.[2]
The concept of "The Dreaming" or "Dreamtime" is inadequately explained by these English terms, and difficult to explain in terms of non-Indigenous cultures. Often referred to as theWarlpiri nameJukurrpa,[3] It has been described as "an all-embracing concept that provides rules for living, a moral code, as well as rules for interacting with the natural environment... [it] provides for a total, integrated way of life... a lived daily reality". It embraces past, present and future,[4] and some of the ancestor or spirit beings inhabiting the Dreamtime become one with parts of the landscape, such as rocks or trees.[5] The concept of a life force is also often associated with sacred sites, andceremonies performed at such sites "are a re-creation of the events which created the site during The Dreaming". The ceremony helps the life force at the site to remain active and to keep creating new life: if not performed, new life cannot be created.[6]
Thetraditional custodians of the sacred sites in an area are the tribal elders. "Sacred sites give meaning to the natural landscape. They anchor values and kin-based relationships in the land. Custodians of sacred sites are concerned for the safety of all people, and the protection of sacred sites is integral to ensuring the well-being of the country and the wider community."[2] These sites are or were used for many sacred traditions and customs. Sites used for male activities, such as initiation ceremonies, may be forbidden to women; sites used for female activities, such as giving birth, may be forbidden to men.
Some documented examples of Aboriginal sacred andheritage sites in Australia include:
Before 1965 there was no legislation protecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sites in Australia, with the exception of some regulations in theNorthern Territory. In 1965, theSouth Australian Government was the first to introduce legislation (with theAboriginal and Historic Relics Preservation Act 1965), and all other states have since done so.[11] Sacred sites are given protection under bothCommonwealth andstate and territory laws.[12]
TheEnvironment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) established theNational Heritage List, which includes natural, Indigenous and historic places of outstanding heritage value to the nation. Under this Act there are penalties for anyone who takes an action that has or will have a significant impact on the Indigenous heritage values of a place that is recognised in the National Heritage List.[13]
Indigenous heritage protected to varying degrees by state and territory laws: they protect various kinds of areas and objects, but developers can apply for a permit to allow them to undertake activities which may affect such land or objects.[12]
Legislation relating to the protection and management of sacred sites and other Indigenous heritage items and places in Australia includes:[14]
Searchable online lists of sacred and Indigenous heritage sites are maintained by all states and territories under their legislation. Not all of them are publicly accessible, but logins can be obtained on application. They include:
In May 2020, in order to expand aniron ore mine,Rio Tinto demolished a sacred cave in thePilbara region ofWestern Australia that had evidence of 46,000 years of continual human occupation.[53][54] The rock shelter known as Juukan 2 was the only inland site in Australia to show signs of continuous human occupation through theIce Age,[55] and had been described as one of the "top five" most significant in the whole of the Pilbara region, and of "the highest archaeological significance in Australia", being "[the only] site of this age withfaunal remains in unequivocal association withstone tools". In addition, it was of great cultural significance to thePuutu Kunti Kurrama andPinikura, with a hair of one of their ancestors having been found there.[56][55]
Permission to destroy the site had been given in 2013 under theAboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA), although later information about the site's significance had been given to the company. The destruction brought widespread criticism,[57][58] and sparked an internal review at Rio Tinto,[59][60] a review of theAboriginal Heritage Act,[61] and a government inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia.[62]
On 11 September 2020, it was announced that, as a result of the destruction at Juukan Gorge, CEOJean-Sebastien Jacques and two other Rio Tinto executives would step down.[63] TheNational Native Title Council (NNTC) welcomed the move, but said that there should be an independent review into the company's procedures and culture to ensure that such an incident could never happen again.[64] Rio Tinto admitted their error, issued an apology via media[65] and on their website, and also committed to building relationships with thetraditional owners as well as getting Indigenous people into leadership roles in the company.[66] One analysis of what went wrong in Rio Tinto to allow the destruction to occur suggested that processes failed at several levels, but mainly due to its "segmented organisational structure", a poor reporting structure, and Indigenous relations not being properly represented at a high enough level.[67]
"Blanket approvals" under Section 18 of WA'sAboriginal Heritage Act have been granted by theGovernment of Western Australia to mining companies which could be a threat to the safety of many other sites in thePilbara andGoldfields regions of Western Australia. Aboriginal people have no power to object to such approvals, which allows corporations to disturb or destroy sites across wide areas. One example is the 148 square kilometres (57 sq mi) ofNgalia land in the Goldfields which contains seven sacred sites, and an area which includes 40Banjima sites in theDjadjiling Range in the Pilbara.[68]
As of June 2020[update], the federal government has approved plans by a developer for a residential complex nearMount Ainslie inCanberra, on a site that has been deemed of Indigenous significance by archaeologists at theGeological Society of Australia andGeoheritage Australasia. The government has not consulted with local elders or Aboriginal organisations, and aDepartment of Agriculture, Water and the Environment spokesperson said that it had not assessed the site for its Indigenous heritage (under heritage provisions of theEPBC Act) "as no world or national heritage sites were identified on the location". However, localNgambri people say it was used for sacred men's business; in addition, artefacts found there in 1933 are of enough significance to be displayed in theBritish Museum.[69]
Rous County Council, which is the authority responsible for thewater supply for most of theBallina,Byron,Lismore andRichmond Valley council areas, published its draft water strategy in June 2020, which includes a 50-gigalitre (1.8×109 cu ft) dam atDunoon, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north ofLismore. The council has been aware of Indigenous concerns since the matter was first considered in the 1990s, and was committed to working with local communities to mitigate concerns. An impact assessment of the site had identified various artefacts and burial sites in the area.[70]
As of September 2020[update], the walking track to the lookout and pools above theGunlom Falls inKakadu National Park is closed at the request of theJawoyn traditional owners. It was closed before mid-2019, due to an investigation by theAboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA) intoParks Australia under theNorthern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act 1989 (NT). Thetraditional owners allege that, in the process of upgrading the track, Parks Australia may have damaged asacred site near the track.[71] AAPA has filed charges, which could lead to the authority being fined up toA$314,000.[72]
In June 2008BBC released the seriesRay Mears Goes Walkabout, composed of four episodes, where Mears tours theAustralian outback. An accompanying hardcover book was published in the UK byHodder and Stoughton in March 2008. In the series, Mears meets one of his heroes,Les Hiddins (a.k.a. "TheBush Tucker Man"), and he also headed to theKimberley region to meet the reputed Aboriginal artist and bush guideJuju Wilson.[73]
Text is available under aAttribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) licence. Text is available under aAttribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) licence. NOTE: As of 1 July 2020, this site incorrectly lists the repealed Heritage Objects 1991 Act (ACT). Text was copied from this source, which is available under aAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. Text available under aAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
