Cultural loss and compensation in the anthropology of Aboriginal Australia

Cultural loss has been neglected in the study of Aboriginal Australia. This neglect reflects the impact of changes in Australian society involving the recognition and celebration of Indigenous culture. Yet new jurisprudence relating to compensation under Australian land rights legislation has refocused attention on cultural loss. This article draws on ethnography from North West Queensland's Gulf Country to examine how the concept of loss relates to change. Reflecting on the rise of the juridical notion of a “compensable act,” I ask, When does “loss” occur and to whom, and what solace may be found for cultural loss? I argue that these questions focus attention on the fraught relationship between Indigenous people, anthropology, and the law in Australia, while also offering an opportunity to reformulate those relations.