University of Wollongong Thesis Collections University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Year 2001 Redefining relationships: Aboriginal interests and biodiversity conservation in Australia Michael Adams University of Wollongong, [email protected] Adams, Michael, Redefining relationships: Aboriginal interests and biodiversity conser- vation in Australia, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, School of Geosciences, University of Wollongong, 2001. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/1979 This paper is posted at Research Online. Indigenous Australians are advised that this article may include images or names of people now deceased. Continue REDEFINING RELATIONSHIPS Aboriginal Interests and Biodiversity Conservation in Australia A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY from UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG by MICHAEL ADAMS School of Geosciences 2001 CERTIFICATION I, Michael John Adams, declare that this thesis, submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy, in the School of Geosciences, University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Michael John Adams 10th December 2001 ABSTRACT There are many points of intersection between the interests of Aboriginal communities and organisations, and the interests of state conservation departments. While these intersections more often generate conflict and confrontation than co-operation and trust, attempts by governments to implement resolutions to these apparently different interests often lead to policy failure. Unresolved conflict over Aboriginal land claims, native title, and joint- management regimes for national parks are clearly evident in New South Wales and Queensland. State conservation agencies, as subsets of mainstream Australian culture, hold normative cultural constructs which may be only tenuously linked to the 'realities' they symbolise. These constructs are institutionalised in the structure and processes of conservation agencies, and, as such, have a constant presence in the policy and decision-making process. Significant cultural constructions include those focusing on 'nature' and 'Aboriginality', and a spectrum of detailed issues around these. Contemporary Aboriginal interests in conservation issues have to engage and negotiate with this culture of conservation. Aboriginal constructions of nature and indigeneity may differ strongly from those held by conservation agencies. Importantly, many Aboriginal organisations, and the legal concept of native title, are both situated at points between non-Aboriginal Australian culture and Aboriginal culture, rather than simply reflecting Aboriginal culture. This thesis argues that differences and corrrespondences between government conservation department and Aboriginal cultures are at the core of contested approaches to conservation landscapes. Empirical and theoretical analysis of a range of situations in Australia leads to the development of new theoretical positions. The thesis identifies the recognition spaces where new meetings can occur, and new relationships can be created. The recognition spaces are both theoretical conditions and geographic places. Focusing on concepts of epistemological and practical complementarity, new intellectual and practical approaches can be discovered. Complementarity can generate new understandings between different but equivalent worldviews, with possibilities for positive outcomes for both biodiversity conservation and Aboriginal social justice. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people to thank in a project like this, and not all of them are listed here. My supervisors, Lesley Head and Gordon Waitt, gave me much assistance and usefully contradictory advice on my thesis structure and drafts, and helped shape several conference presentations which directed my thinking. Their own research was an important part of the changing landscape of my work. Paul Tapsell, at the Centre for Cross-Cultural Research at the Australian National University, provided me with a critical conceptual tool in cross-cultural research and action. My colleagues in the Visiting Scholars Program at the same place in April 1999, provided very useful critiques of my writing and research, especially Sumedha Dhani and Minoru Hokari. Many individuals in the organisations linked to my research provided key information and much support. At the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, Steve Wright was crucial in supporting and enabling the project, and Gavin Andrews, Tom Smith and Sean Docker provided essential background. The then chairperson, Ossie Cruse, and the NSWALC Council supported the project. At Cape York Land Council, Richie Ah Mat, Anne Creek, James Whittaker, Jon Halloran, Dave Fell and Derek Oliver were supportive and professional colleagues. Buzz Symonds at Queensland Parks and Wildlife was a challenging and perceptive protagonist in negotiations. At the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Russell Couch, Tony English and Denis Byrne gave me very useful critiques and much stimulating discussion. Most of all, three groups of people were central to my ability to carry out this research: Ross and Luana Johnston; my family (Eva, Ruby and Finn); and the Aboriginal people of Cape York, North Queensland and New South Wales with whom I worked. Ross and Luana generously shared thirty years of experience, insights, knowledge and networks. My family supported me in all the absences, physical and mental, shared the fieldwork when they could, and provided a critical 'first reader' role. I have been researching this thesis for the entire lives of my two children, reflected in their passion for wild foods ('did you bring any vertical plums dad?1), and their immersion in the whole process. The Aboriginal people in my research locations were welcoming, humorous, acute, challenging, tolerant and persistent. I came into those communities as yet another white person asking lots of questions, and they endured, educated and directed me. I would especially like to thank Tex Skuthorpe, Sunlight and Florrie Bassini, Philip Port, Blade Omeenyo and Peter Kyle, and Anne and Allan Creek and their families. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract Acknowledgements Introduction 1 PARTI Chapter 1 Nature and Race as Social Constructions Introduction 9 Indigenous Peoples and Conservation 10 The Construction of Nature 16 Western Constructions 16 Aboriginal Natures 29 The Construction of Race 39 Indigeneity and Aboriginality 39 Aboriginality and Nation 44 Modalities of Aboriginality 49 Challenges and Correspondences 54 Conclusion 56 Chapter 2 Institutional Change Introduction 59 Cross-Cultural Challenges 62 Changing Institutional Themes: Property 66 Land and Conservation 66 Land and Aboriginal Rights 73 Knowledge 76 Correspondences 78 Changing Institutional Themes: Conservation Agencies 80 Theories of Organisational Change and the Adaptive Cycle 80 Collaboration 91 Conclusions 94 Chapter 3 Methods Introduction 97 Geography, Research and Indigenous People 99 Complementarity and the Recognition Space 104 Research Design 107 Ethics and Negotiation 110 Research Biography 114 Across Disciplines 119 Methods 121 Sources and Techniques 122 Text Sources 124 Oral Sources 126 Participant Observation 130 Conclusions 133 PART II Chapter 4 Race, Nature and Change: Conservation Agencies Introduction 135 Agency Constructions of Nature 136 Institutionalising Conservation 136 Other Species: Native, Naturalised and Neglected 142 Kosciuszko: Australia's First Inhabited National Park ? 145 Agency Constructions of Race 153 Legal Constructions 154 Cultural Heritage 156 Land Rights and Native Title 158 Challenges and Correspondences 16° Nature and Culture: Institutional Change 160 Body and Spirit 162 Conclusion 165 Chapter 5 Conservation: Politics, Culture and Science Introduction 167 Conservation Agencies 168 Institutional and Global Influences 168 Public Sector Reform 178 Organisational Culture 180 Profile: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service 182 Profile: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 183 Comparative Cultures 185 Conservation Agencies and Science 190 Science and Culture 190 Protected Areas 193 Wilderness 195 Conservation and Aboriginal Issues 199 Government Institutions and Aboriginal people 199 Cultural and Natural Heritage 201 Science, conservation and Aboriginal people 202 Conclusions 205 Chapter 6 Aboriginal Domains: People, Land and Rights Introduction 207 Aboriginal Domains and Conservation 210 People and Land 214 Population 214 Land 219 Culture 221 Continuity and Change' 221 Organisations 223 Land Rights 226 New South Wales 226 Queensland 229 Native Title 231 Conclusion 238 PART III Chapter 7 Queensland: From Place to Process Inroduction 241 The Proposal 244 The Place 245 Aboriginal Relationships to Land 252 Historic Relationships 252 Contemporary Relationships 255 Conservation Interests 259 Project Negotiations: 1998-2000 264 Issues 264 Mapping 265 Meetings 269 Culture and Relationships 276 Aboriginality, Nature and QPWS 280 Divergent Worlds 285 The Maps 288 Outcomes: Potential and Probable 291 Conclusions 295 Chapter 8 New South Wales: From Process to Place Introduction 299 Encounters: The Policy Process 301 The Aboriginal Ownership Amendments 302 Aboriginal Land Claims 307 Native Title 310 Jervis Bay 313 The Place 313 Tenure and Land Claims 317 Negotiations 321 Western Sydney 326 The Place 326 Land Claims and Court Judgements 329 Aboriginality, Nature