Inclusive Indigenous Australian voices in the semiotic landscape of the National Museum of Australia

Histories of Indigenous peoples did not begin when European colonized their native lands: In Australia it began with the Dreaming some 40 to 60,000 years ago. Museum studies specify the need for museums to be socially responsible in their representation of cultures. This article examines two exhibits within the First Australians Galleries at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra through the concepts of; multi-voicedness, semiotic landscape, and agency. Qualitative methodology was used including semi-structured interviews with curators, image-based and document analysis. Findings showed that the semiotic landscape of the museum was framed by the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ narratives and represented a diversity of voices; personal and political. The curator’s understanding of the need to partner with the Indigenous community, suggests that curators are in position to be change agents in the process to empower these communities.