Critical Indigenous Studies scholarship honours the deep and astounding continuities of knowledges about our places, peoples and our place in the existence. Indigenous scholars developed the theoretical and methodological tools of Critical Indigenous Studies to make sense of their Peoples' experiences and their contexts, to explore ways that we could resist destructive forces in our lives and nurture our unique knowledges. This course explores the development and influence of Critical Indigenous Studies in Australia.
The rich and often complex theories and methodologies developed and developing within the disciplinary field of Critical Indigenous Studies reveal assumptions, disrupt misrepresentations and critique asserted logics. Piercing the interfering glosses of bias, these Indigenous scholars have developed methodologies that make it possible for others to develop insight into First Peoples' perspectives. By decentring the western disciplinary canon, Critical Indigenous Studies has created spaces within educational structures for First Peoples to participate in research and education. Critical Indigenous Studies engages with social, political and legal theory, intersects with theories of other disciplines and is distinctive not only because of the fields (the areas or places) from which it emerges but also because of its unique epistemologies. This scholarship has expanded contemporary sensibilities about what knowledge is, how it can be transmitted and who is an authorised voice. Students will have an opportunity to work together to explore complex effects of colonisation on First Peoples and settlers in contemporary Australia.
Students can also study a six unit stream focussed on the ethics, protocols and methods Indigenous scholars developed in response to research about First Peoples. These now have influence beyond research practices, including education, policy development, medical and legal professional practice standards, and workplace occupational health and safety strategies and practices. We consider these in the context of cultural safety, decolonisation and more recent assertions of 'intellectual sovereignty'. We consider the relevance, recognition and contribution to research and knowledge of Indigenous peoples' methods, and some explore some of these more deeply.
This is an advancing course in Indigenous Studies, where students explore more deeply key concepts and methodologies and the scholarship that has influenced it. This immersive and intensive reading course in the scholarship of influential critical Indigenous Studies scholars from Australia and other places whose peoples are developing Indigenous Studies.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- demonstrate knowledge of and insight into knowledges and theoretical perspectives taught in this course (including basic precepts of First Peoples in Australia);
- apply methods and methodologies taught in this course (including reflexivity skills and other decolonising methodologies) in group work and research writing;
- explain protocols regarding oral communication and the conduct of ethical research and scholarly writing, including those related to intellectual property and cultural authority;
- critically analyse issues taught in this course; and
- demonstrate insight into the distinctiveness of Indigenous Studies and Indigenous scholarship in Australia relative to other fields of Indigenous Studies.
Work Integrated Learning
Fieldwork
This course involves immersive in place learning on the ANU's Kioloa coastal campus.
Other Information
This course is taught semi-intensively. The classes in the first session are held on/from the Kambri campus (the ANU's Acton campus in Canberra); the second session is held over a multi-day, residential workshop on Yuin Country (at ANU's Coastal campus in Kioloa on the NSW south coast). To join this courses, students pay a course contribution fee, contributing to the additional costs of offering the field course session; this course contribution fee allows the Kioloa session to take place. Students arrange their own transportation to the Kioloa campus (and make arrangements to travel together with other students).
This course is one of the possible prerequisites for the capstone course in the AUIS-MAJ. (It can also be taken as a co-requisite for that capstone course - that is, taken in the same teaching period).
Some of the trip options may require students to safely traverse 5km over uneven ground at a moderate pace, and stay in basic cabins and dorms rooms with others participating in the course.
Indicative Assessment
- Annotated bibliography (indicative length 1500 words 6 unit or 3000 words 12 unit ) (20) [LO 1,2,3,5]
- Course engagement (10) [LO 2,3,4]
- Learning in Country (10) [LO 1,2,3]
- Group project (25) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Reflective essay (1300 or 2500 words) with appended learning journal (indicative length 1500 or 3000 words) (35) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
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
130 hours of total student learning time made up of approximately
a. 36 hours of in-class contact and
b. 94 hours of independent student research, reflection, reading, viewing, etc and writing. (6 units)
Inherent Requirements
To complete this course, students must participate in the field trip of up to ten days to a domestic field location. In order to participate in the trip, students must have the ability to:
- Undertake autonomous domestic travel;
- Understand and respect the needs of other participants and act professionally throughout the trip;
- Monitor and manage their own health while studying with a group of people in an international and/or isolated field location; and
- Understand and respect the needs of the community in which the field trip is being held and engage with respectful community protocols.
Students who cannot meet these requirements will not be able to participate in the trip and therefore cannot complete the course.
For more information, please refer to the CASS trip information page.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
All materials are made available through the course Wattle site.
Preliminary Reading
All materials are made available through the course Wattle site.
Assumed Knowledge
As an advancing course in critical Indigenous studies, students have a tertiary standard of knowledge about shared histories in Australia, introductory knowledge about the discipline of Indigenous Studies (globally), insight into standpoint and positionality, and basic skills in reflexivity. Students can expect this course to be taught and their peers to engage with course content and relationships in a way that is culturally safe.
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:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 to 12 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 |
| 7.00 | 0.14583 |
| 8.00 | 0.16667 |
| 9.00 | 0.18750 |
| 10.00 | 0.20833 |
| 11.00 | 0.22917 |
| 12.00 | 0.25000 |
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.
Autumn Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5500 | 01 Apr 2025 | 02 May 2025 | 02 May 2025 | 30 Jun 2025 | In Person | N/A |