Heritage, Indigenous Doing, and Wellbeing: Voices of Country

Heritage,Indigenous Doing,and Wellbeing presents an Aboriginal Australian relational understanding of the world that offers a counter-narrative to the Western notion of heritage and provides new insights into sustaining complex systems that support all life. It highlights the voices of Australian Aboriginal People involved in 'Caring for Country' and is an essential resource for those studying Country, heritage, museums, Indigenous Peoples, landscape architecture, environmental studies, planning, and archaeology.

Format: Hardback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Heritage, Indigenous Doing, and Wellbeing presents a profound relational understanding of the world from an Aboriginal Australian perspective, offering a counter-narrative to the Western notion of heritage and providing valuable insights into the potential for sustaining the intricate systems that support all life.

From an Indigenous Australian viewpoint, the Western concept of heritage is deliberately exclusionary and perpetuates social, political, economic, and environmental injustice. Aboriginal People have a unique relationship with the landscape, viewing Country as a living "heritage" that intimately connects individuals with place, ancestors, language, and well-being. However, the concept of Country is often reduced to intangible heritage, resulting in limited legislative, legal, or administrative weight.

In this book, contributors explore a diverse range of relationships with Country, highlighting its richness and practical utility. By adopting a common understanding of Country as sacred, living, and sentient rather than as objectified property or resource, they demonstrate the depth and practicality of this relational perspective.

Heritage, Indigenous Doing, and Wellbeing prioritizes the voices of Australian Aboriginal People who are actively engaged in "Caring for Country." It serves as an essential resource for scholars, researchers, and practitioners interested in the study of Country, heritage, museums, Indigenous Peoples, landscape architecture, environmental studies, planning, and archaeology. Furthermore, it holds great relevance for heritage practitioners working across the globe.

Weight: 550g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367720490