This course introduces students to fundamental aspects of Indigenous relationships to lands, waters and cultural sites in Australia and internationally. It will provide students with an overview of Indigenous perspectives about the natural environment, knowledge systems and practices, the opportunities and challenges of Indigenous peoples Settlers’ relationships in this space, as well as the settler state legal and policy frameworks which often obstruct Indigenous opportunities to actively engage in cultural and natural resource management. These areas of contestation and collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous natural resources users are explored through a series of land and water management case studies and an examination of a range of theories on the topic. Students will learn from a diversity of indigenous land managers from across Australia. The course will also provide students with an opportunity to strengthen self-reflexive practices that are essential in engaging with Indigenous knowledge in many natural resource management issues.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Develop an appreciation of Indigenous aspirations, perspectives and knowledge systems in relation to lands, waters, plants, animals, natural resources and cultural heritage, and explain how these may vary from western scientific, legal and managerial perspectives.
- Engage with Indigenous relational ontological perspectives, sovereignty and resurgence and how these relate to land and natural resource management issues in Australia and other settler state contexts.
- Enhance understanding of Indigenous experiences of climate change, its impacts, the challenges it poses as well as the strategies developed by Indigenous peoples to respond.
- Develop skills to critically analyse environmental conservation and natural resource management policies and programs and their implications for Indigenous peoples’ perspectives, initiatives, and aspirations.
- Develop a self-reflexive practice that allows for culturally situated and place-specific engagement in environmental management issues.
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 multiple optional field learning opportunities within this course.
- Canberra afternoon with Ngunnawal Elder
- Day trip on the NSW South Coast with Walbunja Rangers (additional cost of approx $50)
- Pre-recorded online accessible version of a previous field activity
Fieldwork activities are designed to allow you put the skills you’ve learned in the classroom into practice in new environments and provide powerful enrichment to student learning. 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.
Indicative Assessment
- Learning Journal (30) [LO 1,2,3,5]
- Essay plan, 1000 words (10) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Field Trip report, 2000 words (20) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Essay, 2500 words (40) [LO 1,2,3,4]
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.
Inherent Requirements
This course includes local field based teaching within scheduled class time. Additional fees of approximately $50 is associated with the south coast NSW day trip
For specific details please visit the class summary and for general information on field trips please visit: https://students.science.anu.edu.au/program-admin/college-science-field-trips
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 wattle page. A reading brick will be available on Wattle.
Preliminary Reading
Altman, J and Kerins, S. 2012. People on Country: Vital Landscapes, Indigenous Futures. Federation Press.
Moreton-Robinson, A. 2015. The white possessive: Property, power, and indigenous sovereignty, University of Minnesota Press.
Reo, N.J. 2019. Inawendiwin and Relational Accountability in Anishnaabeg Studies: The Crux of the Biscuit. Journal of Ethnobiology, 39(1): 65-75.
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 |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4980 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6720 |
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.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2313 | 17 Feb 2025 | 24 Feb 2025 | 31 Mar 2025 | 23 May 2025 | In Person | N/A |