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The Tugun Bypass Case Study_2008.pdf (405.26 kB)

Sites and Societies: The Tugun Bypass Case Study

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journal contribution
posted on 2016-08-18, 10:49 authored by Magali McDuffieMagali McDuffie

As a filmmaker and researcher working with Aboriginal communities, I have witnessed and documented the seemingly insurmountable obstacles put in the way of communities who are trying to protect their cultural heritage in the context of development. In this paper I present a case study which I worked on for three years with the Tweed Aboriginal community, namely the issues in the management of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage emerging from the construction of the Tugun Bypass, which I have documented in a film entitled Bypassed: The Erosion of our Cultural and Environmental Landscapes, 2006. This case study focuses on the fact that most cultural heritage surveys occurring in the context of development or mining exploration concentrate on “sites” rather than the “societies” those sites are associated with, particularly in urban areas, resulting in failed consultation processes, conflicts, and eventually loss of cultural heritage data and educational opportunities. I suggest some potential alternatives to a conflict-based paradigm, and argue the case for a more multidisciplinary approach in cultural heritage management.


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