26836 Indigenous Nation Building & Governance

Description

Indigenous nation building (or rebuilding) is a relatively new term in Australia but is increasing in prominence as governments, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and academics adopt it as practice and analyse its effects. Indigenous nation building (INB) describes the process by which Indigenous nations and communities in Australia and internationally create the necessary institutional and strategic foundations to achieve self-determined goals. Business organisations and entrepreneurs can play an important role in supporting the revitalisation of Indigenous nation structures and self-determined economic development.

This subject examines the development challenges faced by contemporary Indigenous nations throughout the world. The subject is built upon extensive North American and Australian research that finds that political self-governance is a more important factor to Indigenous nations being able to achieve their economic and community development goals than any other factor. Those Indigenous nations or communities working to put in place the necessary institutional and strategic foundations to achieve sustainable self-governance – nations that are Indigenous nation building (or rebuilding) – are those able to achieve their self-determined goals. Using case studies and research from Australia and North America on what is working and what is not working to promote the social, political, cultural and economic strengthening of Indigenous nations, this subject reviews Indigenous nation building and the challenges it faces in Australia. Students engage with leading Australian and international Indigenous nation building theorists and Indigenous community practitioners to explore Indigenous nation building as a governance and community planning tool for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations and communities.