When
Where
Why
Stand with Traditional Owners against the WA Government's plans to introduce new laws that fail to recognise the right of Aboriginal people to protect their cultural heritage. March from Kings Park to Perth Parliament House. Join us in asking the government to #ProtectAboriginalHeritage
Background
The Kimberley Land Council is standing with Traditional Owners against the WA Government’s plans to introduce new laws that fail to recognise the right of Aboriginal people to protect their cultural heritage.
The draft Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill is backwards step from the current Aboriginal Heritage Act as it places control over critical decision making about Aboriginal cultural heritage in the hands of mining companies and other proponents.
As they stand, the proposed laws will not prevent the ongoing destruction of Aboriginal cultural heritage. They will not prevent another Juukan Gorge.
The facts
- The draft Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill fails to meet the standards set out by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- The draft Bill does not recognise Aboriginal people as the primary decision makers about their cultural heritage. The draft Bill grants this authority to proponents such as mining companies.
- The draft Bill is a backwards step from the current Aboriginal Heritage Act as it places control over critical decision making about Aboriginal cultural heritage in the hands of mining, industry and government.
- The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage (ACH) Directory proposed in the draft Bill will allow mining companies and other proponents to avoid engaging directly with native title holders about their cultural heritage, and therefore undermines Aboriginal peoples’ interest in, control over, and ability to make informed decisions about their cultural heritage
- The proposed ACH Directory fails to recognise the secret and sacred nature of some Aboriginal cultural heritage. In many cases, it is the most culturally important sites are the most secret