Traditional Custodians Research Articles

진주지역 다실(茶室)과 차인회 고찰 - 문화자본 이론을 중심으로

This study explores the multifaceted value of tea culture in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, with a focus on its revitalization in contemporary society. By applying cultural capital theory, this research illustrates that tea rooms and tea societies not only serve as custodians of tradition but also play a pivotal role in reinforcing cultural heritage, social cohesion, and communal identity within local contexts. Furthermore, the study underscores the growing significance of tea rooms as wellness spaces in the post-pandemic era, suggesting that traditional tea culture holds considerable potential as a cultural and economic asset in modern society. The findings highlight the strategic potential of integrating tea culture into regional tourism initiatives, thereby contributing to local economic revitalization and the sustainability of cultural practices, while providing new perspectives on the contemporary application and preservation of traditional culture.

Cross-cultural approach to biobanking of living coral cells on Woppaburra sea Country in the southern inshore Great Barrier Reef

ABSTRACT Biobanking of cryopreserved, living cells is a conservation tool being increasingly integrated into management and recovery efforts for at-risk wildlife. Together with reproductive technologies like in-vitro fertilisation, biobanking can secure biodiversity for decades and beyond to support species’ health and ability to survive and recover in a changing world. An inaugural on-Country coral biobanking project occurred in 2022 on Konomie (North Keppel Island) involving partners from Taronga Conservation Society, the Australian Institute of Marine Science and Woppaburra Traditional Custodians. Biobanking activities were undertaken with free prior and informed consent for the collection, cryopreservation and transfer of living coral material for secure and specialised storage at Taronga’s CryoDiversity Banks on Cammeraygal and Wiradjuri Countries. During this project and a subsequent Biobanking Cultural Safety event in September 2023, we discussed cultural matters related to biobanking and measures that could be taken to ensure that the enduring link to Country of these samples is maintained in perpetuity. These outcomes will form the basis of a best-practice approach to biobanking activities in other regions of the Great Barrier Reef, in partnership with the Traditional Custodians of those sea Countries.

Whale are our kin, our memory and our responsibility

There is a global move to advocate for the incorporation of Indigenous Knowledges into conservation and land management programs. In Australia this is being reflected in some programs and also regularly in strategy documents. However, we argue that this rarely reflects self-determination for Traditional Custodians. In this article we use two Culturally Significant Entities (CSEs), the humpback and southern right whales, to demonstrate how the regulatory framework that is in place to support species conservation does not adequately allow for Traditional Custodians to extend culturally appropriate levels of care for Country or preserve the knowledge held or associated with a species. Our aim is that the Australian Government and people will work with us to find a way to support the care of CSEs. Position statement We, the authors, are Indigenous Australians. We have familial connections to whale Lore Holders and/or hold traditional whale Lore/Law as part of our cultural obligations. It is from this position that we advocate for greater care of the whales with which we have Ancestral kinship and reciprocal responsibility.

A token-based operating model unifying traditional and token-based operations for security services

Asset tokenisation is expected to have an impact on the financial services industry in the future. This paper examines the necessity for traditional custodians to enter tokenised markets to propose a future operating model for traditional custodians. We explore the advantages, such as leveraging regulatory expertise and existing customer bases and challenges, including the adoption of new technology stacks involved in such a model. Our proposed operating model utilises a blockchain infrastructure that relies on the use of tokens that spans both traditional and digital assets to create an automated platform. This platform can include the automation of credit risk and liquidity across multi-asset classes and multi-jurisdictional operations. Notably, our model introduces two types of tokens: value tokens (the fully digital or tokenised assets as well as tokenised money) and proxy tokens (among others, representing traditional assets). While value tokens carry value and represent tokenised assets, proxy tokens do not carry value. These proxy tokens are an internal representation of traditional assets that can facilitate managing the intra-day liquidity and extended credit lines offered to customers. Within our proposed operating model, all transaction instructions, whether in the traditional or tokenised realm, are streamlined through a unified ‘instruction worklist’. We conclude the paper with a proposed schematic architecture for the technical implementation of the operating model.

Comparing the nutritional composition and antioxidant properties of an Australian native grain variety with commonly consumed wheat

SummaryClimate change is threatening our current food systems and countries around the world are seeking alternative food sources to safeguard against potential food insecurity and nutrient deficiency concerns. Various traditional foods used by Aboriginal groups of Australia have previously been shown to be highly nutritious, contain beneficial functional properties and can thrive in the harsh climatic conditions found across Australia. As interest in these traditional foods grows, Aboriginal groups are looking at developing a range of foods for modern markets. However, for many of these foods, there is still little known about their nutritional and functional properties. In this study, we report the nutrition composition and antioxidant properties of a native Australian grain species that is currently being developed for commercial markets by a collective of Aboriginal Traditional Custodians and compare its properties to a commonly consumed wheat variety. Compared with wheat, the native grain species contained 2‐fold greater protein and total fats, and higher levels of essential minerals and trace elements, including 8‐fold iron levels and >2.5‐fold calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese levels. Functionally, the native grain contained 2.4‐fold greater polyphenol content and displayed greater antioxidant potential in exposed human monocyte cultures. Importantly, the native grain was also found to contain a very low gluten content. Altogether, this shows that the native grain is nutritionally and functionally superior to commonly consumed wheat for the measured parameters and could potentially serve as a grain alternative or be used to fortify current wheat‐based and gluten‐free products.

Indigenous Water Engineering and Aquaculture Systems in Australia: The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape and Baiame’s Ngunnhu (the Brewarrina Aboriginal Fish Traps)

In Australia, First Peoples have practiced sustainable forms of water management for millennia. They have done so by respectfully caring for Country through their use of engineering and maintenance processes, including sophisticated fish and eel trapping structures and weir systems. Some of the largest continuing sites of water engineering and aquaculture in the world are still visible and used by local Aboriginal groups – the Budj Bim in Victoria and Baiame’s Ngunnhu (Brewarrina Aboriginal fish traps) in New South Wales (NSW). Recent scholarship and successful heritage listings, including the World Heritage listing of the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape and work by and with traditional custodians in these river systems, are starting to bring into public discourse and knowledge these sophisticated and important places of global cultural significance. The principles used in the design of these systems, and the social and environmental contexts of their maintenance and convening power over millennia, are particularly important as we navigate new technologically mediated forms of water management today and into the future. These management challenges include communities in Australia and globally working on the importance of significant places, values, rights, justice and voice for Indigenous peoples in building sustainable futures, including through innovation and safe, sustainable and responsible cybernetic approaches to water governance and the SDGs.

Resilience and Loyalty in the Face of Adversity: A Case of Local Employees in Kerala’s Backwater Tourism

Summary This case study reports on Kerala’s backwater tourism and the associated experiences of houseboat employees in the sector. Kerala’s backwater tourism is a significant facet of the state’s tourism industry, drawing both foreign and domestic tourists. Houseboats, referred to as ‘kettuvallam,’ play a central role in backwater tourism, harmonizing tradition with modernity. Despite gaining global recognition, challenges such as escalating costs and external crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have impacted Kerala’s backwater tourism sector, leading to severe hardship and job insecurity among employees. Despite these adversities, interviews conducted as part of the case study reveal remarkable levels of ongoing resilience and loyalty on the part of houseboat employees, most of whom are local residents. Their resilience and loyalty are rooted in affective commitment and intrinsic motivation, wherein houseboat employees see themselves as custodians of tradition and ambassadors of the backwater region. In turn, their unwavering dedication may be seen as being a vital factor that can contribute to the ongoing adaptability and resilience of the backwater tourism sector as a whole. Information © The Authors 2024

The living religious heritage of displaced communities: conservation problematics and use-related challenges

PurposePlaces of worship have historically been maintained using traditional building management techniques, including regular monitoring, upkeep and maintenance provided by their religious communities. This paper examines the conservation issues arising after the forced displacement of the traditional custodians, which is a significant concern in conflict-ridden environments.Design/methodology/approachAs a unique example of a long-term conflict, the divided Cyprus provides this research with illustrative cases to derive the data. The research employs content analysis of official documents, physical observations and interviews with conservation professionals.FindingsThis research demonstrates the human and environmental factors impacting the conservation of the material fabric and the use-related challenges stemming from the intangible significance of the religious legacy belonging to displaced communities. It highlights the urgency to formulate more effective mechanisms and regulatory frameworks to address vulnerability issues promptly.Originality/valuePreservation problems on religious heritage buildings arising from the loss of traditional custodians after conflicts are an under-researched area in conservation literature. Drawing on research that was conducted several decades after the displacement of Cypriot communities, this paper reveals new insights into the magnitude of the conservation problems and the use-related complexities that need to be addressed to formulate mutually acceptable solutions for a sustainable future.

Garihma (to Care for)

Garihma (to Care for)

The nutritional composition of Australian native grains used by First Nations people and their re-emergence for human health and sustainable food systems

First Nations people of Australia sustained complex grassland grain production systems prior to colonisation. The revival of these foodways could aid in mitigating the interlinked issues of land degradation, reduced landscape resilience and declining food security. For the Gamilaraay people, original custodians of the grasslands of north-west New South Wales and south-west Queensland, efforts are underway to bring their ancient food system into a modern context with authenticity and integrity. The aim of this transdisciplinary study was to investigate the nutritional quality of Australian native grains to identify functional properties that may help promote this nascent industry; complimented by using autoethnography to understand how the original custodians, like the Gamilaraay people, might equitably benefit. Ethnographic findings highlight that Gamilaraay people aspire to improve their health and wellbeing through economic development and consumption of native grains, particularly Elders who disproportionately suffer from non-communicable disease. However, many First Nations people have lived experiences of being systemically exploited and excluded, particularly in the food and agriculture space. To prioritise the interests of the Traditional Custodians, the species used in the biochemical assays were de-identified. Wholegrains from seven culturally significant species, with domesticated brown rice as control, were threshed, milled, and analysed in triplicate for proximate, elemental, non-starch fatty acids, and total free phenolic content. Compared to brown rice, protein was significantly higher in all native species (9.4–32.6 g/100 g); whilst carbohydrates were significantly lower (36.5–53.7 g/100 g). One of the native species had exceptionally high total phenolics (569 mg GAE/100 g) compared to brown rice (60 mg GAE/100 g). All native species had generally higher elemental content, with significantly higher levels of Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mg, P, and K in two native species. All samples were dominated by unsaturated fats with significantly higher polyunsaturated fats in two native species. The generally low carbohydrates, high protein, good fats, high mineral content and high phenolic content suggests that native grains may be beneficial to human health by improving nutrient intake and protecting against non-communicable disease, thus marketable as functional foods. To ensure a flourishing industry where all of Australia benefits from these healthful grains, future research and industry development must be First Nations led.

Opportunities in digital assets and digital custody: Tracking the modernisation of standard custody offering

Digital assets are a new asset class whose adoption necessitates a transformation of custody similar to the transition from paper-based securities to a fully dematerialised securities system. This paper explores how traditional custodians can manage this transition in a proper way and employ distributed ledger technology to increase the efficiency of their operations and to provide digital asset and traditional services in an integrated way. Starting by describing the status of custody, the paper then describes the opportunities and challenges of blockchain-based digital asset custody and elaborates on the proper ways of integrating the novel platforms and processes in the business model of a traditional custodian. On this basis, a framework is developed for a future integrated custody service.

Archaeology of animate ancestors and entanglement at Mayarnjarn in the Wellington Range region, Northern Territory

ABSTRACTThe Wellington Range region, in far Northern Australia, provides a remarkable record of cultural encounter. Cathedral‐sized rock art galleries include contact imagery referencing Macassan and European visitors while lithic artefact assemblages echo social mobility between Indigenous groups occurring from at least the mid Holocene period. In this paper, we continue the trajectory of archaeological research in this region by examining community entanglement over the longue durée, focusing on the Mayarnjarn rock‐shelter complex. Specifically, and following advice from traditional custodians, the authors complement archaeological excavation results with reflections on interactions between Traditional Mawng speaking Owners and archaeologists occurring during the 2016 and 2018 field seasons. This paper provides a cultural chronology built around both OSL and radiocarbon dates, a first for the region, indicating site activities dating from the terminal Pleistocene. An increase in exotic artefacts and presence of paintings belonging to a pan‐Arnhem land rock art tradition suggests widening social networks during the Holocene. Insight into the nuanced nature of interactions, also the role of animate objects as relationship referents, emerge through ethnography and experience as the field season unfolds.

Acknowledgement of Country


 
 
 In the spirit of reconciliation the Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA) acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. We acknowledge that the arrival of the English language to this continent impacted the traditional languages and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and celebrate the work to reclaim or maintain these languages. ACTA members teach English in addition to supporting the maintenance and development of First Languages, and encourage the acquisition and use of other languages – including First Nations Languages.
 
 

Time capsules of biodiversity: Future research directions for groundwater-dependent ecosystems of the Great Artesian Basin

The Great Artesian Basin of Australia represents one of the largest and deepest basins of freshwater on Earth. Thousands of springs fed by the Basin are scattered across Australia’s arid zone, often representing the sole sources of freshwater for thousands of kilometers. As “islands” in the desert, the springs support endemic fauna and flora that have undergone millions of years of evolution in almost total isolation. Here, we review the current body of knowledge surrounding Great Artesian Basin springs and their significance from ecological, evolutionary, and cultural perspectives using South Australian spring wetlands as a case study. We begin by identifying the status of these springs as critical sources of groundwater, the unique biodiversity they support, and their cultural significance to the Arabana people as Traditional Custodians of the land. We then summarize known threats to the springs and their biota, both exogenous and endogenous, and the potential impacts of such processes. Finally, considering the status of these at-risk habitats as time capsules of biodiversity, we discuss lessons that can be learnt from current conservation and management practices in South Australia. We propose key recommendations for improved biodiversity assessment and monitoring of Great Artesian Basin springs nationwide, including 1) enhanced legal protections for spring biota; 2) increased taxonomic funding and capacity; 3) improved biodiversity monitoring methods, and 4) opportunities for reciprocal knowledge-sharing with Aboriginal peoples when conducting biodiversity research.

Expert knowledge, collaborative concepts, and universal nature: naming the place of Indigenous knowledge within a public-sector cultural burning program

Investigates whether a cultural burning program embedded within a government bureaucracy can meaningfully support Indigenous peoples’ landscape fires. In particular, it presents evidence on how Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals encountered, interpreted, and prioritized the influence of wildfire science, ecological science, and Indigenous expert knowledge communities. All interviewees considered the knowledge and authority of Indigenous people, specifically the Traditional Custodians, as inseparable to the program. Four moves were made to build support for Indigenous expert knowledge: the reconsideration of who has expert evidence; who has systems of knowledge creation; whose knowledge is relevant across time; and whose knowledge is relevant across contexts. The results reveal how some strongly held non-Indigenous precepts about expert evidence shifted, where knowledge sharing challenges persisted, and the constraints of the governance context. The study recommends material investment in Indigenous peoples’ expert knowledge communities, and prioritizing reflexive research, learning, and teaching about nature and evidence across academia.

Enhancing Community Engagement and Outreach: Strategies for Information Dissemination at the Bangladesh National Museum

Museums, traditional custodians of cultural heritage, are adapting to the digital age. The Bangladesh National Museum faces the challenge of effectively disseminating information to engage with an evolving, diverse audience. This research explores strategies for enhancing community engagement and outreach through innovative information dissemination. Using a mixed-methods approach, including surveys and interviews with museum visitors, staff, and community members, this study captures quantitative and qualitative data. It emphasizes contemporary roles, such as inclusivity, accessibility, and relevance. Findings offer insights into current community engagement and information dissemination at the Bangladesh National Museum. Recommendations, informed by visitor perspectives and global best practices, empower the museum to navigate the digital era while preserving its core role as a cultural steward and educator. By enhancing information dissemination, the museum can bridge cultural understanding, foster lifelong learning, and contribute to sustainable societal development.

Older Adult Listeners’ Perception on the Language Used and Quality of the Programme at Wai FM Iban

Community radio is still relevant in today's world despite the rapid changes taking place in communication information technology. It is a faster platform for disseminating information apart from other traditional media, mobile phone and the Internet. In Sarawak, Wai FM Iban is popular among the Iban community especially those living in rural areas. This is because it is the fastest way for the local community to obtain information. This study aims to examine how older adult listeners of Wai FM Iban evaluate the language used by the broadcasters and the quality of radio programmes produced by the radio station. As listening to the radio has become a daily activity among Iban community, Wai FM Iban has a vital role to play in disseminating information to the Iban community throughout Sarawak. It plays a role to ensure proper and correct Iban language is used on air. This study employs a qualitative approach where focus group discussion is used for data collection. Findings show that older listeners of Wai FM Iban are concerned about the use of code-mixing and code-switching among broadcasters that would lead to the deterioration of the language. Findings also indicated that older adult listeners are concerned about the quality of language used and programmes produced by the radio station. As the custodian of Iban language, custom and tradition, they believed that the language used by the broadcasters will determine the quality of programmes produced by the radio station. Keywords: Community radio, Iban language, code-switching, code-mixing, customs and traditions.

Acknowledgement of Country

Acknowledgement of Country In the spirit of reconciliation the Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA) acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. We acknowledge that the arrival of the English language to this continent impacted the traditional languages and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and celebrate the work to reclaim or maintain these languages. ACTA members teach English in addition to supporting the maintenance and development of First Languages, and encourage the acquisition and use of other languages – including First Nations Languages.

City Symphony

City Symphony

A passionate partnership: understanding the origins and significance of John Sinclair’s connection with K’gari (Fraser Island)

AbstractThe paper explores the transformation of environmental activist John Sinclair, OA, from a conservative member of the Country Party, through a position of cautious conservationism, to preeminence as a leading environmentalist with some very significant achievements. This paper aims to show some correlations between his work and ideas and major strands of environmental education research. His allegiance to K’gari (Fraser Island) and the way in which he was able to learn from the traditional custodians, the Butchulla people, and other leading environmentalists is described in this paper through his own memoir writing and the viewpoints of informants interviewed by the author. John Sinclair’s profound connection with K’gari, how it was formed and sustained, and its historical and environmental consequences make a remarkable story of a modern citizen turned activist. The development of John Sinclair’s ideas and practice show interesting parallels with the development of both environmental activism and environmental education in Australia. The story has importance in a range of areas connected with environmental stewardship and environmental education.