1 Australian Aboriginal Virtual Heritage A philosophical and technical foundation for using new media hardware and software technologies to preserve, protect and present Aboriginal cultural heritage and knowledge. Protecting, preserving and promoting Aboriginal arts, cultures, heritage and knowledge using 3D virtual technologies. Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Research), Creative Industries Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, 2014 Image 1 - This virtual screen shot is from Vincent’s World and represents a re-create of a view and path (Songline) around the base of the Tombs in the Mt Moffatt Section of Carnarvon Gorge. This document meets the requirements of a presentation of thesis by published as specified in Section 123 of the Queensland University of Technology MOPP. 2 Keywords Australia, Aboriginal Australia, Aboriginal Virtual Heritage, Aboriginal Digital Heritage, Indigenous history, arts and culture, virtual technologies, virtual reality, digital knowledge management, virtual culture, digital culture, digital mapping, spatial knowledge management, spatial systems 3 Abstract Cultural knowledge is a central tenant of identity for Aboriginal people and it is vitally important that the preservation of heritage values happens. Digital Songlines is a project that seeks to achieve this and was initiated as a way to develop the tools for recording cultural heritage knowledge in a 3D virtual environment. Following the delivery of a number of pilots the plan is to develop the software as a tool and creative process that anyone can use to record tangible and intangible natural and cultural heritage knowledge and to record the special significance of this knowledge as determined by the traditional owners. Digital Songlines is a product and a service for preserving aboriginal knowledge as a virtual heritage environment. This innovative project has the potential to assist decision making for the management of cultural heritage and the mitigation of damage to its precious heritage values for future generations. The product aspect is that of a software toolkit for rapid prototyping of natural and developed heritage, including its values within a defined geo-spatially area. The service is also a process for assisting the documentation, designing and creation of interrogative virtual heritage environments. The product seeks to assist communities to visualise those culturally significant landforms, objects, sites, fauna and flora as well as the represent the values, personal histories, geographic descriptions and other cultural related land-uses as determined significant by the traditional owners for a particular contested terrain. Digital Songlines is developed from indie and open-source virtual software. It was developed in partnership of many where computer application for various purposes was ‘mashed’ together to support the enterprise of recording in real time, cultural heritage knowledge for the purpose of education, entertainment and ultimately to support arts, language and cultural heritage management. 4 Statement of Original Authorship The work contained in this thesis has not been previously submitted to meet requirements for an award at this or any other higher education institution. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made. Signed: QUT Verified Signature Brett Leavy Dated: May 2014 Acknowledgements Professor Jeff Jones James Hills Theodor Wyeld Joti Carroll Peter Murphy Alan Warrie Allan Madden Brendan Ledwich Wayne Wharton Craig Gibbons Malcolm Pumpa Justin Brown Chris Barker Stef Gard Noel Pearson Jennifer Kwok Aden Ridgeway Aunty Beryl Wharton Aunty Irene Ryder Uncle Vincent Serico Uncle Jimmy South Uncle Herb Wharton Uncle David Carline Uncle Tiga Bayles Francis Kelly Aunty Ysola Aunty Pat O’Connor 5 Contents Australian Aboriginal Virtual Heritage ................................................................................... 1 Keywords ............................................................................................................................. 2 Abstract ................................................................................................................................ 3 Statement of Original Authorship .......................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. 4 Contents .............................................................................................................................. 5 Prologue .............................................................................................................................. 6 Introduction: Mapping the Field ............................................................................................ 7 Contextual Review ............................................................................................................... 9 Digital Songlines: Research Analysis ................................................................................ 16 Case Study: CyberDreaming and Beyond ......................................................................... 19 Concluding Statements ...................................................................................................... 22 Archive of Publications ....................................................................................................... 25 Book Chapters ................................................................................................................... 25 Conference Papers ............................................................................................................ 29 A Conversation on the Efficacies of the Game Engine to Address Notions of Sacred Space ............................................................................................................................. 29 The Digital Songlines Project and Transgressions of Sacredness. .................................. 29 The Ethics of Indigenous Storytelling .............................................................................. 43 Using the Torque Game Engine to Support Australian Aboriginal Cultural Heritage ........ 43 Digital Songlines ............................................................................................................. 57 Digitalising the Cultural landscape of Aboriginal Australia ............................................... 57 Improvements to the Standard Torque Game Engine for Australian Indigenous Storytelling: Developing the Digital Songlines Game Engine ........................................... 68 Creating an Authentic Aural Experience in the Digital Songlines Game Engine: part of a contextualised cultural heritage knowledge toolkit. ............................................................... 78 Further Publications ........................................................................................................ 85 Research in Australian Aboriginal Virtual Heritage ............................................................. 88 Legal Frameworks and Protocols for DSE .......................................................................... 89 Feedback from Community Engagement and Demonstrations of DSE ............................... 91 Summary of Community Concerns ..................................................................................... 97 Using the Digital Songlines Engine .................................................................................... 98 Methodology and Protocols for Gathering Cultural Heritage Knowledge .......................... 100 The Mobile Mnemonic Toolkit........................................................................................... 102 What is Digital Songlines Engine (DSE)? ......................................................................... 104 Component Based Architecture of the Digital Songlines Engine ....................................... 105 Appendix A - Glossary of Terms & Acronyms ................................................................... 110 Appendix B – ACID Protocols Document ......................................................................... 113 Appendix C - Annotated Bibliography ............................................................................... 116 6 Prologue This thesis is designed as a practice-based 60 percent creative practice and 40 percent exegetical work that is a compilation of theoretical, analytical and archival material based on the Digital Songlines project undertaken in the Creative Industries Faculty, QUT, over the course of this study. As a rich-text document, the exegesis is made up of an Introduction and Contextual Review that maps contemporary activity in the Indigenous cultural heritage cultural management sphere in Australia. The practice component of the thesis includes the digital copies of the Songlines project: namely Vincent’s World and Irene’s World. This research is an interactive multimedia simulation of the heritage, knowledge, and connections between people, artefacts and land of Aboriginal Australia. The purpose of the project is to introduce a new research domain known as Australian Aboriginal Virtual Heritage. The exegetical section of the project investigates the relative benefits and advantages of using 3D simulation software tools and