Peter Veth is a renowned Australian archaeologist with extensive experience in Native Title claims in Western Australia, NSW and South Australia. He has worked in the Academy, at AIATSIS and recently completed his tenure as Director of UWA’s Oceans Institute. Jo McDonald is currently the Director of the Centre for Rock Art Research + Management at UWA, after a long first career in cultural heritage management. She has been involved in native title claims in South Australia and Western Australia.

The role that archaeology and heritage can play in Native Title claims

Summary: The podcast is a conversation between two archaeologists who have worked on a number of Native title cases over the last 25 years or so. It discusses the disciplinary framework that archaeology can bring to native title cases. Both McDonald and Veth have published on this topic, and in this conversation they will draw on the various results and findings of the different cases that we have worked on, including de Rose Hill (SA), Ngarluma-Yinjabarndi (WA), Martu (WA) and Birriliburru (WA). They discuss continuity of tradition, referable use and how the diachronic focus of archaeology provides an appropriate lens to explore contemporary societies. Rock art as a lens for viewing change and contact, material culture (i.e. the introduction of glass into the formal tool categories) and the linking of tangible and intangible values are three unique ways that archaeology can contribute to successful native title claims.

Contact details
Emails: jo.mcdonald@uwa.edu.au and peter.veth@uwa.edu.au