What is Culture and Heritage?

Culture and Heritage is often perceived as rock art, sites, artefacts and other tangible items.  Whilst they are very important to culture and heritage they are only a part of it. Intangible things such as oral stories, memories, today’s way of doing things that are linked to the old ways and many other aspects of all Aboriginal places. 

It is often very difficult to explain to non-Aboriginal people the complexities of our Culture and Heritage when it is often not written and is often intangible (non-physical).  It is a connection to our people and it is the differences we share that bind us.  Many non-Aboriginal people have a deep connection to Aboriginal people but what they have is only a glimpse of the deep spiritual and intangible connections Aboriginal people have with their Culture and Heritage.

As the extract below from the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, 1983 highlights the importance of Culture and Heritage to all Local Aboriginal Land Councils.

Division 1A – Functions of Local Aboriginal Land Councils

52 Functions of Local Aboriginal Land Councils

(1) A Local Aboriginal Land Council has the functions conferred or imposed on it by or under this or any other Act.

(2) Land acquisition A Local Aboriginal Land Council has the following functions in relation to the acquisition of land and related matters:

(a) in accordance with this Act and the regulations, to acquire land and to use, manage, control, hold or dispose of, or otherwise deal with, land vested in or acquired by the Council,

(b) functions relating to the acquisition of land and any other functions conferred on it by or under Part 4A of the NPW Act,

(c) to submit proposals for the listing in Schedule 14 to the NPW Act of lands of cultural significance to Aboriginal persons that are reserved under the NPW Act,

(d) to negotiate the lease by the Council or by the Council and one or more other Aboriginal Land Councils of lands to which section 36A applies to the Minister administering the NPW Act,

(e) when exercising its functions with respect to land that is the subject of a lease, or proposed lease, under Part 4A of the NPW Act, to act in the best interests of the Aboriginal owners of the land concerned,

(f) to make written applications to the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council for the acquisition by the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council of land on behalf of, or to be vested in, the Local Aboriginal Land Council,

(g) to make claims to Crown lands.

(3) Land use and management A Local Aboriginal Land Council has the following functions in relation to land use and management:

(a) to consider applications to prospect or mine for minerals on the Council's land and to make recommendations to the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council in respect of such applications,

(b) to protect the interests of Aboriginal persons in its area in relation to the acquisition, management, use, control and disposal of its land.

(4) Aboriginal culture and heritage A Local Aboriginal Land Council has the following functions in relation to Aboriginal culture and heritage:

(a) to take action to protect the culture and heritage of Aboriginal persons in the Council's area,

(b) to promote awareness in the community of the culture and heritage of Aboriginal persons in the Council's area.