This course explores relationships Indigenous people have with country. The concept of ‘country' including land and waters is one that infiltrating Australian social, administrative and legal systems. The implications for understanding connections between Indigenous heritage and landscape are fundamental to the practice of land and heritage management in Australia. This course focuses on the theme of connections to country, and while it includes a broad survey of disciplinary approaches, it is principally aimed at cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary understanding of Indigenous heritage. How Indigenous understandings are in accord with or discord with western practices of heritage, land management and economic development are considered. Through case studies, light is also shed on the role of Indigenous arts as vital expressions of connection to country.

Key course topics:

• Indigenous relationships to country
• Responsibilities to kin and country - the structure of Indigenous knowledge systems
• Different expressions of Indigenous heritage
• Issues in the inter-generational transmission of Indigenous heritage
• Indigenous heritage in contemporary policy making.

Course aims:

The aims of this course are to:

1. Provide a strong foundation for students of the Liberal Arts program in key underlying issues in the management and presentation of Indigenous heritage in Australia in a manner relevant to the development of public policy, industry practice and academic projects;

2. To examine, through multi-disciplinary approaches, the relationship of Indigenous heritage to land and sea in a way that highlights personal links between places, objects and practices; and

3. To critically examine policy contexts for Indigenous heritage with an appreciation of Indigenous standpoints.

Learning outcomes:

On completing this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1.     use appropriate written and verbal expression for a variety of relevant professional and academic purposes that involve Indigenous heritage issues including essays, report prepartation and analysis, funding applications and policy preparation and advice;

2.     apply interdisciplinary thinking and the ability to apply theoretical ideas to case studies developed from personal observation;

3.     participate more effectively in workplaces requiring an understanding of Indigenous heritage issues. This includes consultation, research, analysis, and verbal and written presentation at the standard of a postgraduate degree; and

4.     apply a functioning knowledge of current community, industry and policy frameworks for Indigenous heritage to academic and professional practice.

Indigenous heritage essay (40% / 2000 words); Fieldtrip exercise: Approaches to determining the significance of Indigenous heritage places and objects (20% / 1000 words); and Indigenous heritage policy discussion paper (40% / 2000 words).

• Australian Heritage Commission (2002) Ask First: A guide to respecting Indigenous heritage places and values, Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra.
• Buku-Larrngay Mulka Centre (1999) Saltwater: Yirrkala bark paintings of sea country -recognising Indigenous sea rights, Jennifer Isaacs Publishing, Neutral Bay.
• Nakata, M. (2007) Disciplining the savages, Savaging the disciplines, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra.
• Rose, D. B. (1996) Nourishing Terrains: Australian Aboriginal views of landscape and wilderness, Australian Heritage Commission, Canberra.