A major concern of Deepening Histories of Place: Exploring Indigenous Landscapes of National and International Significance ARC Linkage Research Project, is to foster and maintain ethical research relationships with Indigenous people and communities.  Ethical Protocols and five clearance forms were developed by Terri Janke and Company for the Deepening Histories of Place Project. Terri Janke is an Indigenous lawyer and internationally recognised expert in Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property. The drafting of these Protocols and Forms by Terri Janke was sponsored by one of the Deepening Histories Industry Partners, the National Film and Sound Archive.

The Protocols and forms are a step towards acknowledging and respecting Indigenous people’s knowledge and their contribution to historical research and historical publications.

They were designed to guide research relationships for this Project and to provide information for researchers and Indigenous Participants about copyright and ICIP. They are part of a larger continuing national and international debate about ways to better protect and respect Traditional Knowledge of Indigenous and First Nations peoples.

The Protocols and five Clearance forms are made public via the Deepening Histories of Place website to share information and resources with interested people. They are not provided as advice but are an example of an element of the agreement making process for historical research where recordings are being made of individuals, where research is being undertaken on Indigenous people’s land, and where historical films or photographs of Indigenous people and their culture are being used and possibly made public.

They are an important part of the Deepening Histories Project and are part of ongoing research outputs. Their contribution will continue to be discussed through feedback to our website from researchers and at community workshops about copyright and ICIP.