Redefining ‘cultural values’ – the economics of cultural flows

ABSTRACT Cultural flows are water allocations to Aboriginal groups to maintain cultural values. Economic frameworks treat cultural values as sites or places where ‘cultural activities’ take place. A cultural flow is then a discretionary allocation of water to ‘water’ those sites, in the same way that water is delivered to irrigators to water their crops. This water allocation framework, in which environmental, irrigation or cultural values are traded off in a zero-sum game, is grounded in economic and legal frameworks that treat spiritual, environmental, economic and social values as separate and unconnected value domains. In contrast, within Aboriginal ontology each value domain is inherently connected, and cannot be traded off against the others. Interpreting cultural beliefs as akin to a recreational activity ignores the relationship between cultural belief and Aboriginal economic and social organisation. We use a case study of the Narran Lakes area of NSW to explore the relationship between cultural beliefs and the way in which Country was managed under cultural law. Understanding this relationship is important in the economic analysis of cultural flows.