The Right to Refuse
The Right to Refuse is an advocacy project allowing indigenous and non-indigenous communities of Australia’s Northern Territory to make informed decisions regarding the local expansion of mining initiatives. The project’s production, undertaken during field research in Kakadu National Park, utilises film and narrative based tools to connect with diverse and varied communities in an engaging and accessible way.
Kakadu is indigenous land; home to the Bininj and Mungguy peoples, with a recent colonial history of resource extraction, home to the Ranger uranium mine owned and managed by Rio Tinto, and closed in 2021. In the midst of renewed mining interest in the region the project seeks to equip communities with basic knowledge of their human rights; the right to refuse entry to their land, whilst explaining the operational parameters of geological surveyance and its role in forced removals and land appropriations.
Video: Clip of media piece produced for advocacy campaigns promoting local awareness of the right to refuse entry