“In a time of climate crisis and uncertainty, it’s time to do development with Indigenous people on just terms.”

– Nyikina Warrwa Traditional Owner and Academic, Dr Anne Poelina

The Aboriginal Heritage Action Alliance (AHAA) is a community action group, led by senior Traditional Owners with cultural authority from across Western Australia, working to protect and preserve cultural heritage for all. We demand:

  • Strong, new cultural heritage laws for Western Australia, co-designed by Traditional Owners, that protect our lands and sacred sites and enshrine our right to free, prior and informed consent.

  • Uniform, national cultural heritage laws and standards that apply across Australia.

The AHAA comprises eminent Western Australian Traditional Owners, including:

  • Slim Parker, a Martidja Banjima senior Elder and widely respected cultural leader.

  • Kado Muir, a cultural leader of the Ngalia Peoples of the Goldfields region and traditional owner from the Western Desert regions of WA.

  • Dr Anne Poelina, an academic and Nyikina Warrwa woman who belongs to the Mardoowarra, the lower Fitzroy River in the Kimberley region of WA.

  • Clayton Lewis, a Nanda Widi man with family and cultural ties to the Mid-West, Murchison and Gascoyne regions.

  • Leslie Schultz, a Ngadju traditional custodian, native title holder, and Founder and Chair of Ngadju Conservation Aboriginal Corporation.

The Aboriginal Heritage Action Alliance, known as AHAA (pronounced Ah-ha!), held its first meeting on 9 February 2015 in opposition to the WA government’s proposed amendments to the antiquated Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972. Its original co-founders were Clayton Lewis, Elizabeth (Liz) Vaughan, Dr Noel Nannup & Dr Stephen Bennetts.

Organisations which have expressed support for AHAA’s position include Friends of Australian Rock Art, the Australian Archeological Association, the Australian Association of Consulting Archeologists, the Conservation Council of WA and Original Power.