Media release – Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania, 18 November 2021

MANSELL SAYS TIME TO LEGISLATE OWNERSHIP OF ABORIGINAL HERITAGE

Land Council Chairman Michael Mansell has called for immediate action by the Tasmanian government to declare Aboriginal ownership of Aboriginal heritage. The call was a reaction to proposed West Australian laws that retain crown ownership of Aboriginal heritage in that state.

Mr Mansell said, “A 12 month review of the current Tasmanian Aboriginal Heritage Act was completed in February this year. The Land Council, supported by Cape Barren Aboriginal Association, the Elders Council and Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, called for new legislation over-turning white ownership of black heritage.

The House of Assembly is sitting next week. It can make a legislative declaration in 5 minutes. We are not asking for a whole new Act, just a declaration that –

“The Aboriginal Heritage Act is subject to Aboriginal ownership of all heritage dealt with in this Act.”

How much longer must we wait for legislation to overturn outdated and racist white ownership of black heritage?”

Mr Mansell said, “Our people created our heritage. They carved the messages into the rocks, painted hand stencils and made 100 metres high middens. The burial grounds are nothing to do with white people- they are our ancestors resting places. Under current law, Aboriginals had to get permission from the government to regain the petroglyphs from the two Tasmanian museums. That process took a year.

There is every reason for the government to get on with changing the racist white ownership of black heritage.

European heritage expressed in churches, historic buildings, burial plots and so on in Tasmania are not owned by the government – they belong to Europeans. The government regulates the conservation of white people’s heritage but does not claim ownership of white heritage. So, how can an all-white parliament claim ownership of black heritage?”

Mr Mansell said “the recent damage to Aboriginal heritage in WA by a mining company was expected to result in Aboriginal ownership of Aboriginal heritage once again being vested in Aboriginal people. However, that has not happened. The WA government plan to retain white ownership. We do not want the same here, so we call on Minister Jaensch to immediately overturn existing crown ownership of our heritage.”