PROTECTING ABORIGINAL HERITAGE ON PASTORAL COUNTRY A HANDBOOK FOR PASTORAL LESSEES, STATION MANAGERS, STAFF AND CONTRACTORS Crown Solicitor’s Office NATIVE TITLE SECTION Title: Protecting Aboriginal heritage on pastoral country: a handbook for pastoral lessees, station managers, staff and contractors. Acknowledgement: This handbook was compiled with the assistance of staff from the Aboriginal Heritage Branch of the Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Division in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and from the Native Title Unit at the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement Inc. © Government of South Australia (Crown Solicitor’s Office) 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS PURPOSE OF THIS HANDBOOK 1 WHAT IS PROTECTED? 2 TYPES OF OBJECTS 3 Commonly found stone artefacts 3 TYPES OF SITES 5 Campsites 5 Burial sites 6 Stone arrangements 7 Quarries 8 Tool making workshops 9 Natural resource sites 10 Rock art 11 Scarred trees 12 The Dreaming 13 AVOIDING AREAS LIKELY TO CONTAIN SITES 14 Natural water sources 14 Sand dunes 15 Rock outcrops 15 Undisturbed vegetation and ground 16 IF YOU FIND A SITE 17 HOW ELSE CAN YOU MANAGE ABORIGINAL HERITAGE ON YOUR PROPERTY 18 Find out if there are sites on your property 18 Talk to local Aboriginal people 18 Site conservation planning 18 Negotiate an Indigenous Land Use Agreement 18 FURTHER INFORMATION 19 Contacts 19 Reading 20 Purpose of this handbook This handbook will help pastoral lessees, station managers, staff, contractors and other land users better understand and look out for Aboriginal heritage. It provides examples of Aboriginal sites most commonly found on pastoral stations and identifies areas where you are most likely to find such sites. Aboriginal sites are easily damaged or destroyed by natural processes such as erosion, cattle and burrowing animals, and by human activities such as grading, fencing, ripping rabbit burrows and general development. Even activities that could be considered low impact, such as re-vegetation, can disturb Aboriginal sites. While we are unable to prevent the slow destruction of sites by wind and water, we can prevent damage to sites through human activities by adopting careful work practices. The images and short descriptions in this book will help you to become more aware of Aboriginal heritage on your station and adjust your work practices accordingly. DISCLAIMER This handbook is a guide only. It is not an authoritative statement on anthropology, archaeology or the law. The objects and sites shown in this book are just some examples of Aboriginal sites and objects. They are not, however, necessarily of significance under the Aboriginal Heritage Act (1988). Under that legislation the question of significance needs to be determined by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation in consultation with the traditional owners in each case. In addition, this guide may not describe all types of Aboriginal objects or Aboriginal sites that are of significance according to Aboriginal tradition or according to Aboriginal anthropology, archaeology or history. 1 What is protected? The South Australian Aboriginal Heritage Act (1988) protects all Aboriginal sites, objects and remains. An Aboriginal site is an area of land of significance according to Aboriginal tradition or according to Aboriginal archaeology, anthropology or history. An Aboriginal site may include Aboriginal objects or Aboriginal remains. Any land, developed or undeveloped, can contain sites relating to Aboriginal life and Aboriginal use of natural resources such as water, animal and vegetable foods, and stone or timbers. Sites relating to Aboriginal spiritual beliefs and ceremonial activities are also common. Some Aboriginal sites are easily recognised. Others have little physical evidence of their significance. An Aboriginal object is an object of significance according to Aboriginal tradition or according to Aboriginal archaeology, anthropology or history. Objects may be made of stone, shell, wood or other materials and are frequently found at Aboriginal sites. What looks like a simple stone could be an important artefact. Aboriginal remains are the whole or part of the skeletal remains of an Aboriginal person. The South Australian Government maintains a register of Aboriginal sites and objects, which documents several thousand sites on pastoral country. This register, however, is not comprehensive and there are likely to be thousands more sites and objects that have not yet been recorded on it. Sites and objects are protected whether or not they are on the register. Unless a person has obtained ministerial authorisation, he or she is not allowed to damage, disturb or otherwise interfere with sites, objects or remains. All land users and developers need to be mindful of this. Penalties for breaches of the Aboriginal Heritage Act (1988) are severe, with fines of up to $10,000 for individuals (or imprisonment for six months) and $50,000 for a company. 2 Types of objects Aboriginal people traditionally produced objects from a variety of naturally occurring materials including wood, shells, bone, animal skins, plant material and stones. Apart from stone, most of these materials deteriorate quite quickly. That is why today most surviving objects are those made of stone. Stones were the natural tool kit. When sharpened they could be knives or used for carving and scraping, they could be hammers, anvils and axes or they could be used for grinding. To make the smaller stone tools, small flakes of stone would be removed from a larger rock (the core) by striking it with a hammer stone. Commonly found stone artefacts A selection of flaked stones, including a small Flaked stones – Todmorden Station scraper (centre) and cores – Murnpeowie Station Hammer stones and partial grinding stone – Hammer stones – Wintinna Station Alton Down Station 3 Because of their size and smooth surface, grinding stones are impressive artefacts. They were an essential item in central Australia, often used to grind seeds to flour for making damper. The lower grinding stone, a large stone surface on which the seeds are placed, is called a “millstone”. The smaller stone that is held in the hand to grind the seeds is the “muller”. Yankunytjatjara woman demonstrating grindstone use – De Rose Hill Station Muller – De Rose Hill Station Millstone – Murnpeowie Station Other frequently encountered stone tools include: knives - thes e consist of flakes and blades with more or less flaked sharp edges. They were often used only once and then discarded; chisels (also known as adzes) - these were often hafted with resin and used for wood work; points - these were used as spear barbs or points, with the thick back mounted in gum in a groove cut in the spearhead; scrapers - these have often been worked to have a steep, concave edge on at least one side which may be used to make wooden implements and scrape out animal skins; hammer stones - used for a variety of purposes, most notably for making other stone tools, but also for breaking nuts or seeds, opening shellfish or shredding bark. Large pebbles or any other large and hard rock might do, including some that also served as cores for smaller stone tools. 4 Types of sites The following types of sites are all common on pastoral stations. Campsites Campsites may have a number of features including: coal and blackened earth from old fire places; stone tools or, more recently, tools made from metal and glass; general debris such as animal bones, shells and stone flakes from making tools; and the structures of humpys or wurleys (wiltja in Pitjantjatjara, karnku in Yankunytjatjara, punga in Arabana, Wangkangurru & Dieri). Things to look out for are wooden structures, black marks on the ground (from fire) and unusually dense scatters of stones or bones. Usually, campsites are found where This camp site on Stuart Creek Station combines the ground was comfortable, for post-contact objects, like glass and metal items example on the side of sand dunes or with stone tools in sandy spots along creeks. The remains of an old wiltja on De Rose Hill Burnt clay indicating old fire places or Station hearths – Gidgealpa Station 5 Burial sites Different Aboriginal peoples in South Australia had different burial practices. In some areas people were buried at the campsite where they died. In other areas people had dedicated burial grounds (i.e. cemeteries), and in others the deceased were placed in trees and their bones removed at a later time. Any graves were usually shallow and covered with rocks or timber. Sometimes small mounds or the presence of charcoal and ochre show the existence of a grave, but often there is no sign of the grave until the bones are exposed. Exposed human skeletal remains on Tinga Tingana Station 6 Stone arrangements Stone arrangements had different traditional uses. Some were, and perhaps still are, used in ceremonies. Others were used in hunting, to trap animals or hide the hunters. Stone arrangements can be small and inconspicuous or spread over a large area. Stone arrangement next to track (the lines in Stone arrangement – one of a number at this the centre of the picture) – Wabma Kadarbu particular location on Murnpeowie Station Mound Springs Conservation Park on Stuart Creek Station These meandering lines of stones on De Rose Stone circle – Todmorden Station Hill Station may look haphazard but they form part of an extensive stone arrangement 7 Quarries Quarries are places where Aboriginal people obtained ochres, grinding stones, rain stones, and other stones used as tools or in ceremony. Silcrete, chert, quartz and quartzite were commonly used for cutting tools. Grinding stones were made from sandstone and quartzite. Large and important ochre quarries supplied an extensive trading network. Possibly the most significant ochre mine in South Australia is found in the northern Flinders Ranges, but “Rain stone” quarry on Mungeranie Station (note there are smaller ochre quarries crow bar in foreground) scattered across the state. Quarries may consist merely of small rock outcrops.