Students and Indigenous Leaders Unite to Protect Heritage

Wayne Brennan has watched his people be pushed aside in the study of their own history for over 40 years. Now, the Gamilaraay archaeologist is changing that story.

In September, Brennan brought together traditional owners and 11 Sydney University archaeology students to study a significant Indigenous site near Lue in New South Wales. They worked together to examine grinding grooves, rock art, and thousands of ancient artifacts scattered across the valley.

"We walk side by side, we're equally important," Brennan said. "The archaeologist doesn't hold all the power, which has traditionally been the way in Australia."

The students discovered six new grinding sites while learning directly from Wiradjuri traditional owners. For student Clem Dalton, finding their first artifact felt like an adrenaline rush, but the real lesson went deeper.

"It feels really special to be a part of that change towards being more respectful towards the community," Dalton said. They acknowledged the painful history of archaeologists working without respect for country or traditional owners.

The Lue area became a gathering place for First Nations people thousands of years ago because of its fresh water and proximity to ceremony grounds in the mountains. The name Lue comes from the Wiradjuri word Loowee, meaning chain of waterholes.

Dave Johnston, who became Australia's first qualified Indigenous archaeologist in 1989, said racism in academia has damaged First Nations heritage for decades. He pointed to recent examples like Rio Tinto's 2020 destruction of 46,000-year-old rock shelters at Juukan Gorge and a renewable energy company destroying an Aboriginal shelter near Mudgee in 2026.

"We've lost tens of thousands of sites since the 1980s," Johnston said. "It is Indigenous heritage, it is ours."

The Ripple Effect

This field work does more than uncover artifacts. It builds relationships that will shape how Australia protects Indigenous heritage for generations. When students learn from the beginning that First Nations people must lead research into their own history, they carry that respect into their careers.

Brennan believes excellent records created through true collaboration offer the best protection for sacred sites. Traditional owners bring connection to country and knowledge of what matters most, while archaeologists contribute technical expertise.

The model flips decades of harmful practice on its head. Instead of outsiders deciding what's important and digging without permission, Aboriginal people now guide the research from start to finish.

Johnston said bringing students and traditional owners together remains critical for fixing the industry's past failures. The next generation of archaeologists is learning what should have been standard practice all along: listening to Indigenous voices and working as equals.

These students will enter a field that desperately needs their training in respect and collaboration, carrying forward the lessons learned in those waterholes near Lue.