Aboriginal cultural values framework: producing and communicating Bunurong values and meanings within Bunurong Country

Abstract

This article discusses social spaces within Bunurong Country, Australia, and the production and recording of Aboriginal cultural values. Among the broader Australian community, there is a considerable appetite for the incorporation of ‘authentic’ Aboriginal cultural values into various Western processes, such as the planning, heritage and environmental sectors. This article argues that by establishing Aboriginal control of how these values are produced, significant cultural meanings and connections can be made in relation to Country. Utilizing a ‘two toolbox’ approach as a way to integrate Aboriginal and Western structures, it outlines and explains a framework for discussing Aboriginal cultural values, as defined by Bunurong knowledge holders, as a tool to record and link the context of these values to community-generated outcomes. This framework is designed to be applied as a method for recording Aboriginal cultural values within cultural landscapes, to produce social spaces with meaning and dignity for Bunurong people.