Ethnomusicology and the mining industry: A case study from Lihir, Papua New Guinea

This article presents an ethnomusicologists engagement with The University of Queenslands Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (Sustainable Minerals Institute), Newcrest Mining Limited, and the people of Lihir, Papua New Guinea, whose lands are currently being mined for gold. In an age where large-scale resource development has become essential to many economies within Australasia, this article considers how multiple stakeholders with differing agendas can recognize and prioritize intangible cultural heritage for the people on whose lands mining takes place. It is also an example of applied ethnomusicology working at the interface between industry and community.