This course introduces students to Indigenous peoples' relationships to lands, waters and cultural heritage, tangible and intangible, in Australia and internationally. It examines Indigenous knowledge systems and land and sea management practices alongside the colonial histories and settler-state legal and policy frameworks that have marginalised, and in many cases continue to impede, Indigenous approaches to cultural and natural resource management. Drawing on case studies such as fisheries, traditional burning and mining, and on a range of theoretical approaches, students explore the contestation and collaboration that shape relationships among Indigenous communities, land and sea managers, industry, policymakers and the state. Students learn from Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars and practitioners from across Australia and beyond, and develop the self-reflexive practice essential to engaging respectfully and responsibly with the diversity of Indigenous perspectives, knowledge and aspirations in relation to the environment.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Develop an understanding of Indigenous aspirations, perspectives and knowledge systems in relation to lands, waters, plants, animals, natural resources and cultural heritage, and explain how these can differ from or connect with western scientific, legal and managerial approaches.
- Explain key concepts such as relational ontologies, sovereignty and resurgence, and discuss how they relate to land and natural resource management in Australia and other settler-state contexts.
- Identify the colonial histories, legal and policy frameworks, and conservation and natural resource management programs that affect Indigenous peoples' perspectives, initiatives and aspirations, and discuss their implications.
- Discuss approaches to collaboration, co-management and contestation between Indigenous peoples, industry, government and other stakeholders, drawing on case studies and theory.
- Outline Indigenous experiences of climate change, its impacts and challenges, and the strategies Indigenous peoples have developed to respond.
- Reflect on their own position and begin to develop self-reflexive practice that supports respectful, culturally situated and place-specific engagement in environmental management.
Other Information
Field-based teaching and learning activity forms an integral and important part of many courses delivered by the Fenner School of Environment & Society. There are on-Country field learning activities associated with this course.
- Canberra region (half-day)
- NSW South Coast with Walbunja Rangers (full-day)
- Pre-recorded online accessible version of a previous field activity for those who can’t attend one of the on-Country options
Fieldwork activities are designed to allow you to put the skills you’ve learned in the classroom into practice in new environments and provide powerful enrichment to student learning. Please note that the proposed options may change. Information about this will be communicated to the class in the first week of the teaching semester. Students should contact the Course Convenor if they have any questions. Fees up to $150 are associated with the on-Country day/half day field trips.
Indicative Assessment
- Learning Journal (30) [LO 1,2,3,5,6]
- Essay plan, 1000 words (10) [LO 1,2,3,4,6]
- Field Trip report, 2000 words (20) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Essay, 2500 words (40) [LO 1,2,3,4,6]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- Face-to face component which may consist of 1 x 3 hour seminar and/or workshop, and up to 6 hours of course-related field work activities across the semester.
- Approximately 88 hours of self-directed study which will include preparation for lectures, presentations and other assessment tasks
Students are expected to actively participate and contribute to discussions. Tutorial attendance is compulsory.
Inherent Requirements
This course includes local field-based teaching outside of scheduled class time (after teaching break). Additional fees up to $150 are associated with the on-Country day/half day field trips. Information on field trips will be provided in the class summary as well as on the course Canvas page during the first week of the semester.
Students with accessibility concerns are encouraged to discuss with the course convenor.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Readings and other materials are on the course’s Canvas page.
Preliminary Reading
Altman, J and Kerins, S. 2012. People on Country: Vital Landscapes, Indigenous Futures. Federation Press.
Banivanua-Mar, T. (2010). Carving Wilderness: Queensland’s National Parks and the Unsettling of Emptied Lands, 1890-1910. In Making Settler Colonial Space: Perspectives of Race, Place and Identity (pp.73-94), edited by T. Banivanua-Mar and P. Edmonds. Palgrave Macmillan.
Moreton-Robinson, A. (2020). Incommensurable Sovereignties: Indigenous ontology matters. In Routledge Handbook for Critical Indigenous Studies (pp.257-268), edited by B. Hokowhitu, A. Moreton-Robinson, L. Tuhiwai-Smith, C. Andersen, and S. Larkin. Taylor & Francis Group.
Muller, S., Hemming, S. and D. Rigney. 2019. Indigenous sovereignties: relational ontologies and environmental management. Geographical Research, 57 (4): 399-410.
Reo, N.J. 2019. Inawendiwin and Relational Accountability in Anishnaabeg Studies: The Crux of the Biscuit. Journal of Ethnobiology, 39(1): 65-75.
Whyte, K. (2018). Settler Colonialism, Ecology, and Environmental Injustice. In Environment and Society Vol 9: Indigenous Resurgence, Decolonization, and Movements for Environmental Justice (pp.125-144). Berghan Books.
Assumed Knowledge
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2027 | $5340 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2027 | $7200 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.