A B S T R A C T Australia's economic development has historically been closely tied to the extrac... more A B S T R A C T Australia's economic development has historically been closely tied to the extractive industries sector. Currently, opportunities abound for Aboriginal peoples to engage with, and potentially benefit from engagement with a variety of extractive industries. Using a case study of Coal Seam Gas (CSG) development in the State of New South Wales, this paper focusses upon the discursive constraints that can marginalise Indigenous agency in the complex milieu presented by CSG development. It argues that discursive framings can, and do, contribute to an ideological setting that may constrain attempts by Aboriginal people who seek to participate in the opportunities presented by extractive industries, particularly those extractive industries that are deemed environmentally risky or damaging. Employing the Strategic Relational Approach (SRA), it contends that discursive framings are not merely ideological tools that socially construct reality, but via the dialectic relationship between discursivity and materiality, they can have substantial material consequences for Aboriginal people.
This book scrutinises the behaviour of the state during the negotiations for Century Zinc Mine. I... more This book scrutinises the behaviour of the state during the negotiations for Century Zinc Mine. It confirms the critical links between the levels of analysis in policymaking processes and the dialectical interaction between structure and agency at all levels of policy making. The book makes a considered contribution to the literature on the political economy of mineral development in Australia. It also augments the information available to Indigenous people about the mineral negotiation process. Yes Yes
This session will examine the effectiveness of a centrally designed and facilitated mentor traini... more This session will examine the effectiveness of a centrally designed and facilitated mentor training program provided to student mentors participating in a peer mentoring program in the Griffith School of Environment. The outcomes of research undertaken to ascertain training effectiveness will be presented and discussed against a backdrop of centralised program support for School-based mentoring initiatives. The training program for peer mentors in The Griffith School of Environment is one example of collaborative work taking place between academic and central elements as a result of broader institution-wide initiatives aimed at enhancing the student experience. No Yes
Recent neo-liberal policy frameworks in Australia advocate economic development opportunities for... more Recent neo-liberal policy frameworks in Australia advocate economic development opportunities for Aboriginal Australians as a viable strategy to redress the marginalisation and social disadvantage that appear to characterise many Aboriginal communities. In New South Wales (NSW), Aboriginal peoples are currently negotiating with industry for the chance to participate in coal seam gas (CSG) development opportunities. Based upon research focusing on CSG development in the Northern NSW region, this paper argues that certain constructions of Aboriginality inhibit successful Aboriginal engagement with the economic opportunities provided by CSG. This paper illuminates the role of the media in facilitating dominant discourse about Aboriginality and the implications of those constructions for Aboriginal engagement with the mainstream economy. Findings demonstrate that the media are complicit in constructing Aboriginal peoples in a way that could prejudice their attempts to engage in economic opportunities that do not align with the dominant constructions of Aboriginality.
Free prior informed consent is a critical concept in enacting the rights of Indigenous People acc... more Free prior informed consent is a critical concept in enacting the rights of Indigenous People according to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This paper outlines a case for the inclusion of free prior informed consent in World Heritage nomination processes and examines issues that are problematic when enacting free prior informed consent. Case research was used to analyse current issues in the potential nomination of certain areas of Cape York Peninsula, Australia. The authors’ reflexive engagement within this case offers insights into the praxis of developing a World Heritage nomination consent process. The outcomes of this research were: preconditions need to be addressed to avoid self-exclusion by indigenous representative organisations; the nature of consent needs to account for issues of representation and Indigenous ways of decision making; the power of veto needs to have formal recognition in the nomination process; and prioritising self-determination within free prior informed consent ensures the intent of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The paper contributes to the human rights agenda of Indigenous People and conservation management processes by helping address the issues that will be raised during a World Heritage nomination process.
There have been suggestions in recent literature that neoliberalism and globalisation present pos... more There have been suggestions in recent literature that neoliberalism and globalisation present positive opportunities for Indigenous communities engaging in resource development projects on their traditional lands. This paper will present evidence from preliminary research on the neoliberal restructuring that has endured for those Indigenous communities of Queensland who have engaged with mineral development opportunities. Initial findings indicate that the State has devolved some of its responsibilities to the mining company in relation to Indigenous development and service provision. This paper develops a theoretical and analytical framework to enable an examination of the implications of this voluntary devolution of responsibility for Indigenous development and service provision and questions whether this represents a positive opportunity for Indigenous people in the region.
ABSTRACT Kuokkanen begins this critique of the academy by employing the metaphor of the Deatnu Ri... more ABSTRACT Kuokkanen begins this critique of the academy by employing the metaphor of the Deatnu River from her Sami homeland as a "border between worlds" (x). The deconstructive approach that lies at the heart of this important book employs significant insights from Gayatri Spivak's work and seeks to bring "various, even opposing discourses together" (xiv) in order to unsettle and illuminate the inconsistencies, vagaries, and fluidity of borders, particularly those borders that induce "separations and sharings" (xxi) and those that demarcate and create conceptual oppositions "in order to open up the possibility of multiple perspectives" (xxii). This utilization of various deconstructive and critical theories as "stepping stones" rather than prescriptive, rigid categorizations enables Kuokkanen to examine the dominant, ignorant epistemic conventions of the university and illuminate a path toward genuine transformation of the academy. Kuokkanen asserts that as an institution the academy supports and reproduces certain systems of thought and knowledge as well as certain structures and conventions that rarely reflect Indigenous worldviews. She labels this the "sanctioned interest of the academy at large" (1). In this book she aims to interrupt these dominant academic discourses and calls for a new relationship between the academy and Indigenous peoples based on notions of hospitality and reciprocity. The academy must acknowledge and welcome Indigenous epistemes if it is to truly address and overcome this ignorance, for, as she rightly claims, "it is unacceptable for a site of learning to be so ignorant" (5). The concept of episteme is central to Kuokkanen's analysis, and in her articulation of Indigenous epistemes she draws on the work of Foucault. Epistemes are "a lens through which we perceive the world; we use it to structure the statements that count as knowledge in a particular period. . . . [I]t is a mode of social reality that is taken for granted ground whose unwritten rules are learned . . . through the process of socialisation into a particular culture" (57). Thus, the concept of episteme goes further than epistemologies, which focus only on the nature of knowledge, but it also includes ontology, methodologies, worldviews, and ethics. Indigenous epistemes are willfully marginalized within the academy. She contends that "by and large the academy still operates as if there is only one episteme" (65). Kuokkanen offers the gift as a way of understanding how the academy could exemplify a genuine hospitality to Indigenous epistemes. "The logic of the gift foregrounds a new relationship—one that is characterized by reciprocity and by a call for a responsibility to the 'other'" (2). Universities thus have a responsibility to receive the gift of Indigenous epistemes with respect and gratitude, with openness and an ethic of sharing rather than exchange. The logic of the gift requires recognition that this will be an ongoing process and needs commitment to overcome entrenched institutionalized ignorance. Thus, this will not be an easy nor uncontested process. Kuokkanen offers suggestions, not prescriptions, on how the academy may open itself to the possibility of the gift of Indigenous epistemes, for, as she rightly claims, "there is no single approach to doing this. . . . [T]he logic of the gift is embedded in practices that take into account the multiplicities and specificities of each individual context" (164). She calls for an indigenizing of the academy and argues that it is up to the academy to do its homework to ensure that this process is not tokenistic and disingenuous. Before it can genuinely accept the gift of Indigenous epistemes, the academy will have to profoundly transform itself. It will not be enough to merely to include Indigenous systems of knowledge or ways of knowing in pedagogies and curricula (2-3). She also suggests that universities must examine their own practices of domination and ensure that Indigenous representatives are involved in critical decision-making processes (154). Universities will have to be reflective about their role in the marginalization of Indigenous epistemes. Kuokkanen highlights the "need for rigorous analyses that will deepen our understanding of the more hidden dimensions of the hegemonic relations at play in the university" (9). For me, a non-Indigenous woman working within the academy, intimately involved in issues of Indigenous education and seeking just the sort of transformation in my own institution that...
A B S T R A C T Australia's economic development has historically been closely tied to the extrac... more A B S T R A C T Australia's economic development has historically been closely tied to the extractive industries sector. Currently, opportunities abound for Aboriginal peoples to engage with, and potentially benefit from engagement with a variety of extractive industries. Using a case study of Coal Seam Gas (CSG) development in the State of New South Wales, this paper focusses upon the discursive constraints that can marginalise Indigenous agency in the complex milieu presented by CSG development. It argues that discursive framings can, and do, contribute to an ideological setting that may constrain attempts by Aboriginal people who seek to participate in the opportunities presented by extractive industries, particularly those extractive industries that are deemed environmentally risky or damaging. Employing the Strategic Relational Approach (SRA), it contends that discursive framings are not merely ideological tools that socially construct reality, but via the dialectic relationship between discursivity and materiality, they can have substantial material consequences for Aboriginal people.
This book scrutinises the behaviour of the state during the negotiations for Century Zinc Mine. I... more This book scrutinises the behaviour of the state during the negotiations for Century Zinc Mine. It confirms the critical links between the levels of analysis in policymaking processes and the dialectical interaction between structure and agency at all levels of policy making. The book makes a considered contribution to the literature on the political economy of mineral development in Australia. It also augments the information available to Indigenous people about the mineral negotiation process. Yes Yes
This session will examine the effectiveness of a centrally designed and facilitated mentor traini... more This session will examine the effectiveness of a centrally designed and facilitated mentor training program provided to student mentors participating in a peer mentoring program in the Griffith School of Environment. The outcomes of research undertaken to ascertain training effectiveness will be presented and discussed against a backdrop of centralised program support for School-based mentoring initiatives. The training program for peer mentors in The Griffith School of Environment is one example of collaborative work taking place between academic and central elements as a result of broader institution-wide initiatives aimed at enhancing the student experience. No Yes
Recent neo-liberal policy frameworks in Australia advocate economic development opportunities for... more Recent neo-liberal policy frameworks in Australia advocate economic development opportunities for Aboriginal Australians as a viable strategy to redress the marginalisation and social disadvantage that appear to characterise many Aboriginal communities. In New South Wales (NSW), Aboriginal peoples are currently negotiating with industry for the chance to participate in coal seam gas (CSG) development opportunities. Based upon research focusing on CSG development in the Northern NSW region, this paper argues that certain constructions of Aboriginality inhibit successful Aboriginal engagement with the economic opportunities provided by CSG. This paper illuminates the role of the media in facilitating dominant discourse about Aboriginality and the implications of those constructions for Aboriginal engagement with the mainstream economy. Findings demonstrate that the media are complicit in constructing Aboriginal peoples in a way that could prejudice their attempts to engage in economic opportunities that do not align with the dominant constructions of Aboriginality.
Free prior informed consent is a critical concept in enacting the rights of Indigenous People acc... more Free prior informed consent is a critical concept in enacting the rights of Indigenous People according to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This paper outlines a case for the inclusion of free prior informed consent in World Heritage nomination processes and examines issues that are problematic when enacting free prior informed consent. Case research was used to analyse current issues in the potential nomination of certain areas of Cape York Peninsula, Australia. The authors’ reflexive engagement within this case offers insights into the praxis of developing a World Heritage nomination consent process. The outcomes of this research were: preconditions need to be addressed to avoid self-exclusion by indigenous representative organisations; the nature of consent needs to account for issues of representation and Indigenous ways of decision making; the power of veto needs to have formal recognition in the nomination process; and prioritising self-determination within free prior informed consent ensures the intent of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The paper contributes to the human rights agenda of Indigenous People and conservation management processes by helping address the issues that will be raised during a World Heritage nomination process.
There have been suggestions in recent literature that neoliberalism and globalisation present pos... more There have been suggestions in recent literature that neoliberalism and globalisation present positive opportunities for Indigenous communities engaging in resource development projects on their traditional lands. This paper will present evidence from preliminary research on the neoliberal restructuring that has endured for those Indigenous communities of Queensland who have engaged with mineral development opportunities. Initial findings indicate that the State has devolved some of its responsibilities to the mining company in relation to Indigenous development and service provision. This paper develops a theoretical and analytical framework to enable an examination of the implications of this voluntary devolution of responsibility for Indigenous development and service provision and questions whether this represents a positive opportunity for Indigenous people in the region.
ABSTRACT Kuokkanen begins this critique of the academy by employing the metaphor of the Deatnu Ri... more ABSTRACT Kuokkanen begins this critique of the academy by employing the metaphor of the Deatnu River from her Sami homeland as a "border between worlds" (x). The deconstructive approach that lies at the heart of this important book employs significant insights from Gayatri Spivak's work and seeks to bring "various, even opposing discourses together" (xiv) in order to unsettle and illuminate the inconsistencies, vagaries, and fluidity of borders, particularly those borders that induce "separations and sharings" (xxi) and those that demarcate and create conceptual oppositions "in order to open up the possibility of multiple perspectives" (xxii). This utilization of various deconstructive and critical theories as "stepping stones" rather than prescriptive, rigid categorizations enables Kuokkanen to examine the dominant, ignorant epistemic conventions of the university and illuminate a path toward genuine transformation of the academy. Kuokkanen asserts that as an institution the academy supports and reproduces certain systems of thought and knowledge as well as certain structures and conventions that rarely reflect Indigenous worldviews. She labels this the "sanctioned interest of the academy at large" (1). In this book she aims to interrupt these dominant academic discourses and calls for a new relationship between the academy and Indigenous peoples based on notions of hospitality and reciprocity. The academy must acknowledge and welcome Indigenous epistemes if it is to truly address and overcome this ignorance, for, as she rightly claims, "it is unacceptable for a site of learning to be so ignorant" (5). The concept of episteme is central to Kuokkanen's analysis, and in her articulation of Indigenous epistemes she draws on the work of Foucault. Epistemes are "a lens through which we perceive the world; we use it to structure the statements that count as knowledge in a particular period. . . . [I]t is a mode of social reality that is taken for granted ground whose unwritten rules are learned . . . through the process of socialisation into a particular culture" (57). Thus, the concept of episteme goes further than epistemologies, which focus only on the nature of knowledge, but it also includes ontology, methodologies, worldviews, and ethics. Indigenous epistemes are willfully marginalized within the academy. She contends that "by and large the academy still operates as if there is only one episteme" (65). Kuokkanen offers the gift as a way of understanding how the academy could exemplify a genuine hospitality to Indigenous epistemes. "The logic of the gift foregrounds a new relationship—one that is characterized by reciprocity and by a call for a responsibility to the 'other'" (2). Universities thus have a responsibility to receive the gift of Indigenous epistemes with respect and gratitude, with openness and an ethic of sharing rather than exchange. The logic of the gift requires recognition that this will be an ongoing process and needs commitment to overcome entrenched institutionalized ignorance. Thus, this will not be an easy nor uncontested process. Kuokkanen offers suggestions, not prescriptions, on how the academy may open itself to the possibility of the gift of Indigenous epistemes, for, as she rightly claims, "there is no single approach to doing this. . . . [T]he logic of the gift is embedded in practices that take into account the multiplicities and specificities of each individual context" (164). She calls for an indigenizing of the academy and argues that it is up to the academy to do its homework to ensure that this process is not tokenistic and disingenuous. Before it can genuinely accept the gift of Indigenous epistemes, the academy will have to profoundly transform itself. It will not be enough to merely to include Indigenous systems of knowledge or ways of knowing in pedagogies and curricula (2-3). She also suggests that universities must examine their own practices of domination and ensure that Indigenous representatives are involved in critical decision-making processes (154). Universities will have to be reflective about their role in the marginalization of Indigenous epistemes. Kuokkanen highlights the "need for rigorous analyses that will deepen our understanding of the more hidden dimensions of the hegemonic relations at play in the university" (9). For me, a non-Indigenous woman working within the academy, intimately involved in issues of Indigenous education and seeking just the sort of transformation in my own institution that...
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Papers by Catherine Howlett
communities. In New South Wales (NSW), Aboriginal peoples are currently negotiating with industry for the chance to participate in coal seam gas (CSG) development opportunities. Based upon research focusing on CSG development in the Northern NSW
region, this paper argues that certain constructions of Aboriginality inhibit successful Aboriginal engagement with the economic opportunities provided by CSG. This paper illuminates the role of the media in facilitating dominant discourse about Aboriginality and the implications of those constructions for Aboriginal engagement with the mainstream economy. Findings demonstrate that the media are complicit in constructing Aboriginal peoples in a way that could prejudice their attempts to engage in economic opportunities that do not align with the dominant constructions of Aboriginality.
communities. In New South Wales (NSW), Aboriginal peoples are currently negotiating with industry for the chance to participate in coal seam gas (CSG) development opportunities. Based upon research focusing on CSG development in the Northern NSW
region, this paper argues that certain constructions of Aboriginality inhibit successful Aboriginal engagement with the economic opportunities provided by CSG. This paper illuminates the role of the media in facilitating dominant discourse about Aboriginality and the implications of those constructions for Aboriginal engagement with the mainstream economy. Findings demonstrate that the media are complicit in constructing Aboriginal peoples in a way that could prejudice their attempts to engage in economic opportunities that do not align with the dominant constructions of Aboriginality.