A new multi-million-dollar training program will boost the numbers of Indigenous people working in cultural heritage management.
The groundbreaking national training initiative by the ARC Training Centre for Advancing Archaeology in the Resources Sector is solely focused on addressing long-standing underrepresentation of First Nations people in managing and protecting their own cultural heritage.
For Indigenous communities and organisations, the program marks a shift toward self-determined heritage management, where cultural knowledge and authority are formally recognised, and Traditional Owners are supported to lead on decisions affecting Country.
The program has been closely co-designed with three Traditional Owner groups, and a trio of universities in states where some of the 12-month industry placements will take place.
Leading resource companies have also opened their doors for participants of the program, which is also focused on building Indigenous capacity in the increasingly-complex cultural heritage sector.
Three Traditional Owner organisations - the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation, Palyku-Jartayi Aboriginal Corporation, and Yandruwandha Yawarrawarrka Traditional Land Owners – had input on the program, whose chief aim is to equip a generation of Indigenous cultural heritage professionals with the advanced skills, real-work experience and solid pathways to leadership roles in land and heritage management.
Twelve-month industry placements with resources partners would build hands-on knowledge and connect participants with high-level networks across the sector.
The model critically was designed to also ensure Traditional Owners are active managers of Country on their own terms.
Rio Tinto, BHP, South32, and MMG would provide funding and in-kind support from the resources sector for the new program, with investment targeted at social performance, Indigenous engagement, and cultural heritage portfolios.
Niche Environment and Heritage, a key delivery partner, would also contribute funding and mentoring support, and bring its vast experience in cultural heritage management across the resource sector.
Dr Morgan Disspain, Heritage Technical and Commercial Lead at Niche and Partner Investigator in the Centre, said the company believed the initiative was a direct way to invest in Indigenous futures.
"It is always a privilege to work alongside Traditional Owners to help safeguard their cultural heritage," she said.
"This work will become even more meaningful now that we are able to share our professional knowledge to help develop the next generation of heritage practitioners from within these communities.
"The ability for Traditional Owners to actively participate in the cultural heritage management process for mining and development on their Country will not only create better project outcomes but also lead to significant community-wide engagement and benefits."
Jamie Reeves, founding partner at Niche, emphasised the company's long-term commitment to reconciliation and Indigenous empowerment.
"Our deep commitment to reconciliation runs through everything we do but it's particularly tangible in our cultural heritage management work," he said.
"So it is a real honour to be lending our experience to train new professionals and address the accessibility barriers for Indigenous participation in the cultural heritage management sector."
The initiative was also made possible through $5 million in funding from the Australian Research Council's Industrial Transformation Research Program, which is designed to foster collaborative research and training in priority areas of national importance.