Overcoming the Myth of Extinction

The Path Toward Heritage Rights for the Tasmanian Aboriginals

Bibliographic Data

ID19003147
AuthorsWilliam R Price (0000-0003-1836-2715, Central Connecticut State University, corresponding author)
Year2017
Volume10
Issue1
Pages68-90
Publication date2017-01-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHeritage & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2159-032X • E-ISSN: 2159-0338
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/2159032x.2018.1457300
OpenAlexW2796221445
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited50

Heritage rights figure prominently in the contemporary efforts of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community to reassert their identity and regain self-determination. A belief has persisted that the Tasmanian Aboriginals became extinct in 1876 as a result of colonization. Consequently, heritage is a contentious political issue in Tasmania, with dispute long focused on efforts to replace the state Aboriginal heritage protection legislation, the Aboriginal Relics Act 1975. A proposed new heritage protection Bill failed to pass Tasmanian Parliament in 2013, but an Amendment to the original Act was passed in 2017. This article analyzes the discourses that surround Tasmanian Aboriginal heritage in the past, proposed, and currently enforced protection legislation, highlighting areas where perspectives toward Tasmanian Aboriginal heritage have changed or entrenched. Of emphasis in the investigation are the definitions of heritage utilized in the legislation, the role of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community in heritage identification and protection, and penalties for damaging heritage sites. Incorporating interviews and analysis of legislation and stakeholder commentaries, the paper demonstrates the influence of the “myth of extinction” and areas where colonially derived attitudes persist in Tasmanian Aboriginal heritage legislation

Aesthetics · Art · Cultural heritage · Environmental ethics · Legislation · Mythology · Parliament · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Conservation Techniques and Studies · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · History · Law · Museums and Cultural Heritage

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