AIS2080 - Contesting laws: culture, colonialism and land

Leader(s): Stephen Pritchard

Offered

Clayton Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit undertakes an inter-disciplinary study of historical and contemporary approaches to Australian Indigenous land rights and native title. It critically examines law, legislation and historical and political approaches to Aboriginal land rights prior to the decision in Mabo vs The State of Queensland, the debates surrounding the Mabo case, Wik vs The State of Queensland, Members of the Yorta Yorta Aboriginal Community vs Victoria, the Native Title Act, the Native Title Amendment Act, as well as a range of associated topics including the relationship between native title, history, heritage, anthropology, and archaeology.

Objectives

Upon completion of this units students will be able to:

1. Describe and critically compare both orally and in writing the major shifts in approaches to native title and land rights.

2. Evaluate the prevailing attitudes which dominate current thinking about native title from a range of disciplinary perspectives, including law, history, anthropology and archaeology.

3. Understand the importance of native title and land rights to social justice and reconciliation.

4. Critically analyse legal, political and historical representations of native title and understand their relationship to debates concerning the cultural politics of representation and self-determination.

5. Demonstrate both orally and in writing an understanding of native title debates in terms of historical and contemporary relations between Indigenous peoples and the law.

Assessment

Written work: 90% (4500 words)
Oral Presentation 10% (500 words)

Contact hours

2 hours (1 x 2 hour seminar) per week

Prerequisites

First year Arts sequence or permission of coordinator

Prohibitions

AIS2030/3030