Please provide an example of an culturally important large-scale work of history or literature, at least 1,000 years old, which hasn't been abridged, extracted, expurgated, euphemized, hidden, bowdlerized, etc.
It's only recently that one of the traditional keepers passed [1]
[1] https://www.magabala.com/collections/david-mowaljarlai
Of course now that the colonisers have reached the lands the sites are under threat from gas plants and industrial development .. but several thousand years was a good run.
You don't think what is true? It's true enough that D.M passed recently (well, recently in my timeline at least).
> There is lots of rock art which either can't be shown to outsiders
You should mention that to the Bradshaw Foundation that paid no heed and invited themsleves to view as much as they could find.
> but the significance behind the art is not allowed to be explained to outsiders.
Those of us that live there know many of the stories .. and not sharing that with outsiders doesn't negate the existence.
> Some rock art can be copied for wider consumption, but the copies have to leave out certain details.
Despite which many have copied and repurposed such art with details despite being asked not to .. eg [1]
[1] https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Wandjina-Resurrection_fi...
The major thrust of this sub thread has been about line of original purity more than an obligation for [some group] to openly share to all regardless so forgive me if I still consider these a good example of unaltered works painted on and carved into stone.
For example, some stories are not just 'the stories of particular groups' but are not allowed to be told by, or in some cases told to, other groups.
Besides this, how do you know that none of these works have been painted over or hidden?