GSC2805

Land rights

Lyn Holten

8 points
* 3 hours per week
* Second semester
* Gippsland
* Prerequisites: Passes in 75% of first-year subjects

Objectives Upon successful completion of this unit, students will have developed the necessary skills to recognise and appreciate the multiple forms of Aboriginal art, and to examine issues related to the preservation and production of Aboriginal art and artefacts. Students will also have developed an awareness of how Aboriginal art is promoted, organised and marketed and the implications of issues of `ownership' and copyright.

Synopsis The subject commences with an historical background to the land rights movement, specifically the movement in England during the 1830s. The fraudulent nature of the British claim to Australia is also examined in the light of international law at the time. The status of land rights legislation in each of the States and Territories is discussed and, where possible, a current dispute is used as a case study. The current political climate is then examined to stress the capability of mining companies to turn public opinion against land rights. The subject concludes with a comparative study of the status of land rights in another country with an indigenous people.

Assessment Essay one (1500 words): 30%
* Essay two (2000 words): 30%
* Overview essay (2500 words): 40%

Prescribed texts

Reynolds H The law of the land Penguin, 1988