What could World Heritage listing deliver for Indigenous people? The Australian experience in global context. (2014-2016)

This project investigates the difference between the intentions of the World Heritage system regarding Indigenous people and what it actually delivers. There is almost no research on this issue despite UNESCO's aim to expand the non-Western dimensions of the World Heritage program. The study will develop innovative methods that integrate Western and Indigenous knowledge, substantially boosting knowledge of Indigenous perspectives on World Heritage. The outcome will be an evidence-based model that better mediates UNESCO's universalising approach with the particular interests of Indigenous communities, assisting the global 'heritage industry' to address the complex demands of the postcolonial era.