Central Land Council

Sacred Sites and Objects

Sacred sites may be parts of the natural landscape such as hills,rocks, trees, springs and offshore reefs – places that are not always spectacular or interesting to the non-Aboriginal eye.

They may be places that are significant because they mark a particular act of a creation being.

They also include burial grounds and places where particular ceremonies have been held.

Sacred sites are often linked by the stories of a travelling ancestor being and as such they can link groups of Aboriginal people across vast areas of the continent.

Many sacred sites are powerful places and violation of their sanctity may be dangerous both to the people who transgress the law and to the custodians of the site.

In some cases the act of identifying or talking about a site may in itself be a violation. Custodians have particular responsibilities to protect and maintain sacred sites.

The stone being removed from Flynns Grave in Alice Springs and returned to Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles). The Arrernte people donated a similar stone to replace this one from a registered sacred site as an act of reconciliation

This may be done in various ways including holding ceremonies, visiting the places and singing the songs associated with them.

There are no areas of land which are beyond the influence of Aboriginal law but aspects of the law may be focused on particular places.

Non-Aboriginal law recognises sacred sites as bounded entities, a useful tool if they are to be protected, but for Aboriginal people all of the country is important and valuable.