The Albanese Labor Government has appointed Mr Shaun Angeles Penangke to the National Cultural Heritage Committee for a three-year term.
The Committee provides advice to the Australian Government on matters of importance to our cultural heritage, including whether permits should be provided to enable the export of items of cultural significance.
Mr Angeles Penangke was nominated by Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, Minister for Indigenous Australians.
Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said he was confident Mr Angeles Penangke's skills and expertise would make a valuable contribution to the Committee.
"Shaun has worked extensively for years with First Nations objects, including important work with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
"His knowledge and passion for cultural heritage will provide the Committee with helpful guidance on objects of great significance."
Mr Shaun Angeles Penangke is an Indigenous man of Arrente, Gurindji, Kungarakan and Waramunga heritage. He is an anthropologist who has worked with highly restricted collections of Central Australian Aboriginal men's cultural heritage material.
Since 2020 Mr Angeles Penangke has been Assistant Director of Return of Cultural Heritage at AIATSIS. Prior to this he worked for seven years with the Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory (MAGNT) as Cultural Repatriation manager and Artwe-kenhe (Men's) collection researcher.
Mr Angeles Penangke is currently a member of the NT Aboriginal Repatriation Working Group and Vice Chair of MAGNT's Aboriginal Advisory Committee. He has served on committees for the Indigenous Repatriation Program, the Return of Cultural Heritage Pilot Project and the Australian Museums and Galleries Association.
