An Indigenous organisation has criticised a company offering Oscar nominees a “symbolic souvenir” of land in rural Queensland for using their company in advertisement materials without their consent.
Pieces of Australia is one of the many companies that have paid $4,000 to secure a spot in the Oscars gift bag given to nominees.
The company’s hamper includes the “conservation gift pack” which includes a “certificate of land license” which specifies that owners can’t use or enter the parcel of land without the licensers consent.
The “digital member’s handbook” which comes with the giftpack makes a clear reference to the Indigenous Carbon Industry Network.
“When most non-Indigenous people look at the land, they often see something they can exploit, an asset they can develop and use to create a profit,”
“An Aboriginal person, on the other hand, looks at land as something more. They see a living, breathing thing that is deeply connected to their past, present, and future.”
“Organizations like the Indigenous Carbon Industry Network (ICIN), who acts as an industry body, provides valuable resources to Indigenous local organizations,” the handbook said.
In a statement, ICIN said that the orginsation was not contacted by Pieces of Australia or “approached in any way in regards to the academy awards.”
“ICIN has not granted permission for any of our information, publications or photos to be reproduced to support the Oscars ‘Goodie Bag’ or ‘Pieces of Australia’.
In particular it has not granted permission for any photos on our website or publications featuring Aboriginal people undertaking fire management to be reproduced by a third party to support the Oscars ‘Goodie Bag’ or ‘Pieces of Australia’ in any way,” it said.
The orginsation says it is seeking legal advice in regard to the issue whilst Pieces of Australia Niels Chaneliere says that the company has removed all references of the ICN in their digital handbook.
Image Credit: Jernej Furman
