Additionally, by having access to these sites tourist were treading upon sacred burials grounds, and there were several incidences where site desecration had occurred. Currently the only system in place to protect against such desecrations is a “Permit to Enter a Reserve” which fulfills the Australian government’s requirements under the 1972 Aboriginals Affairs Planning Authority Act, which is only focused on land based access, which is why “expedition cruise operators [have] expressed a reluctance to seek permission for access and to report their movements and activities to traditional owners because of a fear that they might limit or restrict access to some sites that have become regular features” of their itineraries (Scherrer et al., 2011:266).
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They want control over access to sites such as Raft Point, a sacred rock art site was “considered unacceptable unless visitors were accompanied by a traditional owner [aboriginal] who could guide them and ensure proper protocols were followed” (Scherrer et al., 2011:266). The traditional owners believe that “current visitor ignorance” and tourists’ “lack of understanding” and “establishing and using trails that go to places that are culturally inappropriate for them to visit” can be mitigated if the cruise ship owners consult with the traditional owners on access and management. In order for this to be successful however, it is important that the cruise ship owners confront the “historical context of previous interactions and the ‘emotional toxic waste’” that could potentially get in the way of successful collaboration (Scherrer et al., 2011:268). The bottom line is that “access issues cannot be resolved without direct and implicit involvement of traditional owners” of rock art sites (Scherrer et al., …show more content…
Technology can provide for easier access and help with interpretation if chosen to be utilized. For instance, a group of archaeologists started a project called Rock Art on Mobile Phones or RAMP, in the Northumberland region of the United Kingdom. They recently developed a mobile friendly website that maps out the hard to find rock art in the region and provides informational prompts that allow visitors to interact with the site on a deeper level. They also wanted to provide open access to substantial rock-art databases online. This project worked so well in the region because there has been a long history of public engagement with rock art in
They want control over access to sites such as Raft Point, a sacred rock art site was “considered unacceptable unless visitors were accompanied by a traditional owner [aboriginal] who could guide them and ensure proper protocols were followed” (Scherrer et al., 2011:266). The traditional owners believe that “current visitor ignorance” and tourists’ “lack of understanding” and “establishing and using trails that go to places that are culturally inappropriate for them to visit” can be mitigated if the cruise ship owners consult with the traditional owners on access and management. In order for this to be successful however, it is important that the cruise ship owners confront the “historical context of previous interactions and the ‘emotional toxic waste’” that could potentially get in the way of successful collaboration (Scherrer et al., 2011:268). The bottom line is that “access issues cannot be resolved without direct and implicit involvement of traditional owners” of rock art sites (Scherrer et al., …show more content…
Technology can provide for easier access and help with interpretation if chosen to be utilized. For instance, a group of archaeologists started a project called Rock Art on Mobile Phones or RAMP, in the Northumberland region of the United Kingdom. They recently developed a mobile friendly website that maps out the hard to find rock art in the region and provides informational prompts that allow visitors to interact with the site on a deeper level. They also wanted to provide open access to substantial rock-art databases online. This project worked so well in the region because there has been a long history of public engagement with rock art in