What do the Juukan Gorge recommendations mean for me?
The Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia has said ‘Never Again’ along with a number of recommendations shared in the interim report for the Inquiry into the destruction of Juukan Gorge.
Juukan Gorge in 2013, and then in 2020.
The interim report lists seven recommendations that address the shortfalls of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA) that contributed to the destruction of the Juukan Gorge site. Within these recommendations are suggestions for Government, mining companies and Traditional Owner groups to improve the processes and structures that currently determine cultural heritage protection in Western Australia.
The communication between Traditional Owners groups and industry bodies during cultural heritage determination processes generally comes down to the use of maps to show important places and boundaries. When looking at the inquiry’s recommendations, there are indicators that suggest support for improved visualisation of spatial information.
We have looked at the recommendations and chosen three that are closely related to mapping. We talk about what elements are spatial, what they mean, and why they are important to you and your Native Title organisation.
Recommendation 2
The second recommendation of the inquiry consists of nine individual points directed to the Western Australian Government. From this recommendation, we identify the following two points as the most relevant to our community and geographic information systems (GIS).
1.58 That the Western Australian Government:
Institute rolling membership of the ACMC to ensure the involvement of Traditional Owners of the country that is the subject of any decision, as nominated by the relevant RNTBC
Undertake a mapping and truth-telling project to record all sites that have been destroyed or damaged pursuant to the AHA, including visual representations of the impact to country, with a view to establishing a permanent exhibition or memorial in the Western Australian Museum.
Traditional Owners have an unmatched knowledge of country and are vital to the process of mapping and truth-telling projects. A rolling membership of the ACMC to involve Traditional Owners in decision making is an excellent step to ensure that occurrences such as the destruction of Juukan Gorge are not repeated, and that all previous occurrences such as this are given the respect and public acknowledgement they deserve.
In order for these recommendations to be rolled out effectively, Traditional Owners must be equipped with the skills and tools and they need to collaborate on mapping projects.
Cartographic languages do not easily translate to Indigenous knowledge, so clear communication and transparent collaboration is what is needed for mapping and truth-telling projects to succeed. Furthermore, an efficient, transparent and collaborative process with Elders is vital to ensuring that destructions like Juukan Gorge never occur again.
Miscommunications can be prevented by equipping Traditional Owners with GIS skills like 3D mapping. Due to its ‘fly-through’ nature, 3D GIS technologies display geospatial information in a human-centric fashion. Relaying mapping data to Traditional Owners in a format that they are familiar with can increase their participation in projects and will decrease the risk of miscommunication and misrepresentation of data within projects.
Learn more about why mapping country in 3D is best for Indigenous elders.
To read Recommendation 2 in its entirety click here.
Recommendation 3
The third recommendation of the inquiry consists of eight individual points, each directed to mining companies operating in Western Australia - whether they’re operating on or off Native Title land. From this recommendation, we identify the following three points as the most relevant to our mapping community.
1.59 That all mining companies operating in Western Australia whether or not on Native Title land:
Undertake independent review of their agreements with Traditional Owners and commit to ongoing regular review to ensure consistency with best practice standards. In particular, companies should review final compensation clauses in recognition that free, prior and informed consent requires continuous review and engagement with traditional owners
Facilitate the sharing of all heritage information and mapping technology used by mining companies with relevant PBCs, to correct information asymmetry and ensure Traditional Owners have access to records of their cultural heritage and are resourced to set up their own mapping initiatives
Actively support and fund efforts by the Western Australian and Commonwealth governments to establish mapping and truth telling initiatives as recommended above.
Although these recommendations are directed to mining companies, it is important for Prescribed Body Corporates (PBCs) to understand what this means for them. Understanding these points will keep PBCs informed and well-resourced when it comes to their own mapping initiatives.
Native Title groups and PBCs regularly generate new data through knowledge exchanges, so practicing good data governance is the first step to ensuring Traditional Owners have access to records of their cultural heritage.
Effective data governance ensures that your data is rightfully owned, correctly managed, and up to date. It also ensures the longevity of your data, meaning that it is resilient to staff turnover, changes to infrastructure, and external consultation. This is vital when undertaking reviews and mapping initiatives with industry bodies and external agencies.
The recommendations highlight the need for PBCs to have a spatial strategy. Having a spatial strategy allows for informed decision making about the presence of external land users and their activities on your country.
To read Recommendation 3 in its entirety click here.
Recommendation 4
The third recommendation of the inquiry consists of three individual points, each directed to the Australian Government. From this recommendation, we identify the following point as the most relevant to work in the GIS industry.
1.62 The Committee recommends that the Australian Government:
Work with Western Australia to implement the recommendation above for a mapping and truth telling project in relation to heritage that has been damaged or destroyed, and to extend this project at the national level in collaboration with other states and territories.
In order to correctly begin a mapping and truth telling project in relation to heritage that has been damaged or destroyed, mapping skills and digital empowerment must be accessible to all Traditional Owners looking to collaborate.
The Indigenous Mapping Workshop (IMW) Australia offers free and specialised training to Indigenous organisations.
The recently launched IMW Australia - On Demand is a nation-wide training platform that hosts widely accessible Indigenous mapping training courses. Traditional Owners can learn how to use technologies like Google Earth Pro, QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, Open Data Kit. The platform also provides courses on general data management that are a great foundation for Native Title organisations. Learners and alumni of IMW Australia - On Demand are a part of a nation-wide Indigenous mapping community that can share knowledge across Australia.
If you need to learn how to use maps and spatial technology to support your contribution to Recommendation 4 of the inquiry, find out if you are eligible for free online training on the IMW Australia - On Demand platform.
To read Recommendation 4 in its entirety click here.
If you have questions about mapping-related recommendations of the Inquiry into the destruction of Juukan Gorge, our team is happy to answer any questions.