Mining, Materiality and Cultural Heritage: A one-day symposium at The University of Queensland

View Symposium Program (PDF 117KB)

CALL FOR PAPERS

The exhibition Musical Landscapes of Lihir, currently showing at the University of Queensland’s Anthropology Museum, addresses the relationship of mining and cultural heritage. In Lihir, New Ireland province, PNG, gold mining has impacted on the local and regional economy enabling, amongst other things, increased access to consumer goods and a correspondingly increased level of kastom, feasting that pays for performance and Ancestral maintenance.

In conjunction with this exhibition a one-day symposium will be held at the University of Queensland to explore scholarly approaches to the intersection between resource industries, materiality and cultural life. The symposium aims to connect with the growing concern, amongst people who experience resource industry activity in the place where they live, to strike a balance between an engagement with economic growth and development, and the maintenance of cultural identity. We seek papers that address particularly the relationship of material or immaterial (intangible) cultural heritage. Case studies from any where in the world are welcome.

Papers might explore or extend the following interlinked themes in the context of the minerals industry:

The relationship between the commodification of a landscape and the transformation in patterns of consumption that mining and mining revenue may bring about.
Changes in ideas about temporality where mining occurs. For example there may be a new anxiety about how to get into the future among people who have mines on their land.
The intersection of native title law and cultural heritage management.
Cultural heritage and community consultation.

Proposals should be emailed to the convenors by Tuesday 7 May. Please include presenter name, affiliation, title of paper/presentation, an abstract of 150 words, and any special requirements for your presentation. Papers should be delivered in 20mins and will be followed by questions/discussion.

Registration for the symposium is free. Email the Anthropology Museum to register.

Symposium convenors:
Dr Kirsty Gillespie
Professor Ian Lilley
Dr Andrew Sneddon
Dr Diana Young