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In remote parts of Australia Aboriginal people struggle to strike a balance between protecting their “sacred sites” (cultural heritage) and engaging with multinational mining developments. Ngalia people have been active in protecting Aboriginal sacred sites from the impact of mining since settlement of their lands in the 1890’s. Early conflict with prospectors in the 1890’s through to the Weebo dispute in 1969 and the Yakabindie dispute in 1989 are historical flashpoints in the conflict of land usage and values. Ngalia have engaged in Aboriginal Heritage Surveys as a means of protecting sites by identifying their location and “negotiating” impacts at the start of mining activities. In recent years the mining industry have taken to using GIS systems to build datasets of Aboriginal sites on Ngalia land and the State government has digitised the State based register of Aboriginal sites. These actions and the passing of elders pose a threat to the ability of Ngalia people to protect their cultural heritage effectively. There is a need for a new paradigm for cultural heritage management and interaction if Ngalia people are to retain any competitive position in the struggle to protect cultural heritage. Through the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies the Ngalia people have embarked on a mission to develop effective cultural heritage management strategies to protect their sacred places/sites and develop sustainable livelihood options for their community. Under the banner of a community cultural centre, the Ngalia people are incorporating key Web 2.0 elements within their community initiatives to engage and empower elders and youth alike.
To date, and along with digital video and community web sites, the Ngalia community has embraced technologies such as You Tube, Skype, My Space, blogs, Google and Wikipedia. Plans are in place to develop a participatory GIS system also. Several of the Ngalia youth were recently awarded runner up in the International Lonely Planet short video competition, for their video on goanna hunting. This video can now be found on You Tube and Lonely Planet TV. This strategy is setting the stage for a shift in the way Ngalia community members can communicate, access, manage and share their traditional knowledge, as well as how this information can be accessed by the wider global community. Lessons learnt from Ngalia experiences may create a new paradigm for cultural heritage management on lands affected by mining and can be applied to other Indigenous communities throughout Australia, perhaps even Globally to secure Indigenous cultural heritage for future generations.
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