This unit of study explores the historical, social and political contexts of the survival and growth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and philosophies. The unit is structured around the themes of representation and identities; the colonisation of land and people; and resistance and agency. It will provide students with an introduction to Indigenous philosophies and theories by examining 'contact history' and resistance within a critical framework.

In the second half of the 20th Century Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples began to culturally and politically recover from the effects of colonisation and assimilation. Having had fundamental human rights severely limited by state and federal legislation, and having experienced years of disempowerment, dislocation and social disruption, Indigenous peoples have sought to reclaim independent social and political power. This unit of study explores national and international developments in this history, addressing issues of political and social representation, and examining contemporary analyses of Indigenous rights to self-determination in legal, political and community spheres.

The continuing poor health status of Indigenous people is well documented. However, attempts at improving Aboriginal health have often been met with inappropriate policy and practice. The challenge in improving Aboriginal health lies partly in improving the knowledge of non-Indigenous Australians of the historical, cultural and contemporary issues which impact on health. This unit of study will provide opportunities for meaningful contact with Indigenous Australians as a foundation for building partnerships with Indigenous people to improve Aboriginal health.

This unit of study explores the history and formation of Indigenous Australian identity. Combining contemporary theoretical and historical approaches we will explore the ways in which Indigenous Australians were constructed by colonial discourses. We will identify and critically analyse sites of power and processes of cultural dissemination and transmission and consider how such identities were racialised, gendered and subordinated. We will explore the arena of cultural politics and investigate the ways in which Indigenous agency has manifested, for example, through innovative critical perspectives, political activism and withholding labour, and through creative re-presentations in a variety of media, in film, documentary, photography and prose.

Gamilaraay is an Indigenous Australian language from the mid-northwest of NSW that is currently undergoing revitalisation. This unit of study will provide students with a basic competence in speaking, understanding, reading and writing Gamilaraay sufficient to recognise and construct simple utterances in the language, and to understand its relationships with other languages. Classes will take the form of three-hour intensive oral workshops that progressively develop each student's abilities in the language. Assessment will be by short written assignments based on lesson content and an appraisal of individual oral/aural performance together with a short essay on Gamilaraay culture or a related topic.

This unit of study aims to give students the opportunity to critically engage with a variety of artistic and creative practices undertaken by Indigenous Australians. It's envisaged that students will be encouraged to critically examine and understand the role of Indigenous performance/theatre, writing, dance, film, visual arts and music in Indigenous Australian cultural maintenance.

While indigenous populations throughout the world vary greatly, the commonality between populations is generally, but not always, their experience of imperialism and colonisation. This unit introduces students to the political movements of indigenous 'nations' within the Pacific Rim. The 20th century movements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will
be examined in the broader context of political resistance movements of indigenous people of New Zealand, the Americas and Pacific island nations and the growth of indigenous movements globally.

This unit of study examines how community development approaches can influence health and wellbeing outcomes for Indigenous peoples. Students will examine past approaches, current trends and theories underpinning community development. Students will reflect on their role in working with Aboriginal communities to develop processes that build capacity in health delivery and support Indigenous self determination. This unit also considers the nature of ethical research practice within an Indigenous community setting.

Indigenous History in Australia. You will examine how Indigenous responses to colonialism have been variously interpreted; explore Indigenous perspectives on the writing and representation of Indigenous History in historiography, documentary and feature film and literature; and examine the legacy of the past in the present. The unit also considers questions of historical evidence, the uses of evidence and the different ways of presenting history.

This unit explores theories of race and racism focussing on Indigenous Australian race relations. Opportunity is provided to understand the development of Racism as an impact on individuals - victim and perpetrator; and systemic systems at local, national and international levels. The unit explores what racism means in the social justice agenda through issues such as: equity and anti-racism; in particular the direct impact of racism as a tool in the creation of social and economic disadvantage in Australian Indigenous communities.

Australia holds an unenviable record for its loss of Indigenous languages and actively pursues a de facto policy of English monolingualism. This unit examines how Indigenous communities are resisting this trend and reviving so-called extinct languages through examining the roles of language policy and planning, community activism, language centres, education, technology and the linguistic processes involved. Lecture and seminar content is supplemented by a fieldwork excursion (at additional cost) to a regional language centre and associated school programs.