The Ethics of Ownership: Indigenous Cultural Property Rights and the Practice of Archaeology

01st June 2006

Nathan Woolford

BA(Hons), School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, June 2003

Archaeologists have taken a prominent role in the debate over Indigenous cultural property rights. While Indigenous people have asserted their right to control their cultural heritage, some archaeologists have opposed it. World heritage, national heritage, science and antiquity have all been called upon by some archaeologists to support their stance against Indigenous cultural property rights. I explore the historical and theoretical contexts of this debate and draw on two case studies to highlight the issues and explore the arguments involved. The literature surrounding the return of the Kow Swamp remains and a large collection of archival material concerning the Burnett River Engravings form the focus of this thesis. I conclude that there are no grounds on which to oppose the complete and legal recognition of Indigenous cultural property rights.

Authors: Nathan Woolford
Title: The Ethics of Ownership: Indigenous Cultural Property Rights and the Practice of Archaeology
Date: June 2006
Volume: 62
Pages: 67
Type: Thesis Abstracts
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