Questions about the “ownership” or the right to benefit from the indigenous heritage are at the heart of political, economic and ethical debates taking place at the local, national and international levels.
When it comes to research in this field, the vision of indigenous peoples on how studies on their assets are managed, is generally not taken into account. Increasingly, however, efforts are made to decolonize research practices by promoting more equitable relationships between researchers and indigenous peoples, based on mutual trust and collaboration.
In this presentation, George Nicholas critical debates about the “ownership” of Aboriginal heritage and provides examples of new research practices that are both more ethical and more effective. These models of collaborative research in which community conducts research, highlight important new directions in the protection of indigenous peoples’ heritage.