Remembering the Mother Mission: Exploring Trauma, Cultural Heritage Values and Identity at Mapoon, a Former Mission Village in Western Cape York, Queensland. Mary-Jean Nancy Sutton B.Arts Hon.s A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Queensland in 2014 School of Social Science Abstract In the middle of the night on 15 November, 1963 the Queensland State Government forcibly removed Indigenous families from their homes in Mapoon, a former Moravian (later Presbyterian) mission village in western Cape York, Queensland. This event coupled with the prior mission closure and the successive struggle against the Queensland State Government by Indigenous families to return to Mapoon were experiences that have shaped their collective and individual identity and relationships within and outside Mapoon. These events traumatised Indigenous families that belong to Mapoon. This thesis shows such trauma is still experienced and remembered today by Mapoon families and missionary families and influences how they interact, remember the mission time, and generate cultural heritage values. Mission time heritage in Mapoon is thus a form of ‘dark heritage’. This thesis is a covenantal archaeological study, documenting the cultural heritage values of Indigenous families and former missionary families who resided in the former Mapoon Mission and their relationship to remembered experiences of trauma and struggle with the Queensland State Government. Temporal focus is primarily the birth and death of the Mapoon Mission from 1891 to 1963 and the struggle for its resurrection by Indigenous families and some missionary families from 1963 to 1975. The thesis also documents the cultural heritage values of Indigenous families and surviving missionary families associated with Mapoon from 2010 to 2014. The thesis draws on different methods within archaeological practice (archival research, oral history, archaeological survey, ground- penetrating radar and interpretation) to document values expressed by Mapoon and missionary families through four case studies. These case studies include the documentation of the Mapoon Mission Cemetery, Mapoon Mission Compound, remains of mission time family homes, and expressions of value in the construction of monuments, commemorative acts and in town planning studies in Mapoon. The results of these investigations have provided new archaeological and historical information on mortuary traditions, cultural practices and interaction between missionaries and Indigenous families in western Cape York. Mapoon’s mission time cultural heritage is presented in this dissertation as a case study to explore how cultural heritage values are generated and to critique the significance assessment process in Australia. The dissertation contributes to existing research on missionisation in Australia through examining the relationships between missionary families and Indigenous families in Mapoon. In doing so it deconstructs social classifications of missionary vs Indigenous and “white fella vs black fella” as well as colonial representations of identity drawn in current historical and anthropological literature concerning the Mapoon Mission. This study concludes historical trauma from violence and dispossession, including the destruction of one’s home, affects wellbeing and is intricately connected to places of high cultural significance within Mapoon. This research explores how archaeological practice and other acts of commemoration and cultural heritage management has potential as catharsis for redressing trauma experienced in the past and may itself be a process of value creation. In this case study, Mapoon families’ most significant cultural heritage places are predominantly intangible forms of dark heritage interconnected to experiences of historical trauma. These places of experienced historical trauma are also used by Indigenous and missionary families to create and renew collective identity and kinship through archaeological practice, perform narratives and acts of commemoration. These places are also where Mapoon families and missionary families recreate new heritage through monuments and reinterpretation. The dissertation provides a research contribution through exploring the cultural heritage values of not only Indigenous families but missionary families who resided in the former mission village of Mapoon. Mapoon has been nominated as having potential national heritage value (Mulvaney, 1989). It is the first Moravian mission in Cape York and one of the oldest missions in Queensland. A complete archaeological survey of extant mission time heritage including areas of unmarked graves and cemeteries was undertaken in this study to document national heritage values. This thesis demonstrates through historical research, oral testimony and archaeological investigations the importance of Mapoon’s mission time heritage in Australia and its urgency for protection and further management. This study comments on the complexity of cultural heritage values and significance assessment process and critiques archaeological practice in this process. Declaration by author This thesis is composed of my original work, and contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference has been made in the text. I have clearly stated the contribution by others to jointly-authored works that I have included in my thesis. I have clearly stated the contribution of others to my thesis as a whole, including statistical assistance, survey design, data analysis, significant technical procedures, professional editorial advice, and any other original research work used or reported in my thesis. The content of my thesis is the result of work I have carried out since the commencement of my research higher degree candidature and does not include a substantial part of work that has been submitted to qualify for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other tertiary institution. I have clearly stated which parts of my thesis, if any, have been submitted to qualify for another award. I acknowledge that an electronic copy of my thesis must be lodged with the University Library and, subject to the policy and procedures of The University of Queensland, the thesis be made available for research and study in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968 unless a period of embargo has been approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. I acknowledge that copyright of all material contained in my thesis resides with the copyright holder(s) of that material. Where appropriate I have obtained copyright permission from the copyright holder to reproduce material in this thesis. Publications during candidature Peer-reviewed papers Sutton, M.-J. and L. Conyers 2013 Understanding Cultural History Using Ground-Penetrating Radar Mapping of Unmarked Graves in the Mapoon Mission Cemetery, Western Cape York, Queensland, Australia. International Journal of Historical Archaeology 17(4):782-805. Sutton, M-J. Huntley and B. Anderson 2013 'All our sites are of high significance'. Reflections from recent work in the Hunter Valley - Archaeological and Indigenous perspectives. Journal of the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists. Conference Abstracts Sutton, M-J. 2013 Mapoon: the mother mission – Exploring the relationship between cultural heritage values, identity and relationships. Australian Archaeological Association Conference, Coffs Harbour, NSW. Sutton, M-J. and G. Mamoose 2011 Mapoon: the mother mission – – Documenting the cultural heritage values of Mapoon people. Australian Archaeological Association Conference, Toowoomba, Qld. Sutton, M-J. 2011 Mapoon: the mother mission – Documenting the cultural heritage values of Mapoon people. Places, People, Stories, interdisciplinary international conference, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden. Sutton, M-J. 2010 “Values are made by people not places” – Some Theoretical Problems in the Contact Archaeology of Former Missions and Government Settlements. Landscapes of Encounter Session in Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology (ASHA) Conference, Brisbane Publications included in this thesis Sutton, M.-J. and L. Conyers 2013 Understanding Cultural History Using Ground- Penetrating Radar Mapping of Unmarked Graves in the Mapoon Mission Cemetery, Western Cape York, Queensland, Australia. International Journal of Historical Archaeology 17(4):782-805. – incorporated in sections of Chapter 5. Contributor – Sutton and Conyers (2013) Statement of contribution Author Sutton (Candidate) Conducted oral history and historical research (100%) Wrote the paper (50%) Author Conyers Conducted GPR investigations and provided GPR results and conclusions (100%) Wrote and edited paper (50%) Sutton, M-J. Huntley, J and B. Anderson 2013 'All our sites are of high significance'. Reflections from recent work in the Hunter Valley - Archaeological and Indigenous perspectives. Journal of the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists 1:1-14 – incorporated in Chapter 1, specifically Section 1.7. Contributor – Sutton, Huntley and Anderson Statement of contribution (2013) Author Sutton (Candidate) Conducted research (85%) Wrote and edited the paper (65%) Author Huntley Conducted research (10%) Wrote and edited paper (30%) Author Anderson Conducted research (5%) Wrote and edited the paper (5%) Contributions by others to the thesis Prof. Lawrence B. Conyers provided significant input into Chapter 5 (specifically Section 5.4 to Section 5.6), led the GPR investigations,