Sovereign Subjects: Indigenous Sovereignty Matters (Australian Cultural Studies)

These essays on indigenous rights by Australia’s emerging and established intellectuals examine the implications for those continuing to live in a state founded on invasion. Exploring implications in law, writing, history, and public policy, this discussion shows that for indigenous people self-determination, welfare dependency, representation, cultural maintenance, history writing, reconciliation, land ownership, and justice are all inextricably linked to the original act of dispossession by white settlers and the ongoing loss of sovereignty. Especially important in light of the problematic interventions in remote communities in 2007, this collection offers a new agenda for indigenous politics and studies. Indigenous rights in Australia are at a crossroads. Over the past decade, neoliberal governments have reasserted their claim to land in Australia, and refuse to either negotiate with the Indigenous owners or to make amends for the damage done by dispossession. Many Indigenous communities are in a parlous state, under threat both physically and culturally. In Sovereign Subjects some of Indigenous Australia’s emerging and well-known critical thinkers examine the implications of continuing to live in a state founded on invasion. They show how for Indigenous people, self-determination, welfare dependency, representation, cultural maintenance, history writing, reconciliation, land ownership and justice are all inextricably linked to the original act of dispossession and the ongoing loss of sovereignty. At a time when the old left political agenda has run its course, and the new right is looking increasingly morally bankrupt, Sovereign Subjects sets a new rights agenda for Indigenous politics and Indigenous studies. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Dedication Page 5 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 Series editor’s foreword 8 Acknowledgements 11 Contributors 13 Introduction 18 Part I: Law matters 30 1 Settled and unsettled spaces: Are we free to roam? 32 2 Misconstruing Indigenous sovereignty: Maintaining the fabric of Australian law 50 3 Indigenous sovereignty rights: International law and the protection of traditional ecological knowledge 64 Part II: Writing matters 80 4 Dancing with shadows: Erasing Aboriginal self and sovereignty 82 5 The sovereign Aboriginal woman 92 6 Writing off Indigenous sovereignty: The discourse of security and patriarchal white sovereignty 103 Part III: History matters 120 7 ‘The invisible fire’: Indigenous sovereignty, history and responsibility 122 8 The Australian Labor Party and the Native Title Act 135 9 That sovereign being: History matters 157 Part IV: Policy matters 170 10 Indigenous sovereignty and the Australian state: Relations in a globalising era 172 11 Locating Indigenous sovereignty: Race and research in Indigenous health policy-making 185 12 Welfare dependency and mutual obligation: Negating Indigenous sovereignty 196 Notes 218 References 225 Index 251 Settled,and,unsettled;,Misconstruing,Indigenous;,sovereignty,rights;,Aboriginal,woman;,Welfare,dependency Settled and unsettled,Misconstruing Indigenous,sovereignty rights,Aboriginal woman,Welfare dependency Introduction / Aileen Moreton-Robinson Pt I: Law matters. 1. Settled and unsettled spaces: are we free to roam? / Irene Watson 2. Misconstruing indigenous sovereignty: maintaining the fabric of Australian law / Philip Falk and Gary Martin 3. Indigenous sovereignty rights: international law and the protection of traditional ecological knowledge / Henrietta Marrie Pt II: Writing matters. 4. Dancing with shadows: erasing aboriginal self and sovereignty / Philip Morrissey 5. The sovereign Aboriginal woman / Tracey Bunda 5. Writing off indigenous sovereignty: the discourse of security and patriarchal white sovereignty / Aileen Moreton-Robinson Pt III: History matters. 7. 'The invisible fire': indigenous sovereignty, history and responsibility / Tony Birch 8. The Australian Labor Party and the Native Title Act / Gary Foley 9. That sovereign being: history matters / Wendy Brady Pt IV: Policy matters. 10. Indigenous sovereignty and the Australian state: relations in a globalising era / Maggie Walter 11. Locating indigenous sovereignty: race and research in indigenous health policy-making / Steve Larkin 12. Welfare dependancy and mutual obligation: negating indigenous sovereignty / Darryl Cronin. "Indigenous rights in Australia are at a crossroads. Over the past decade, neo-liberal governments have reasserted their claim to land in Australia, and refuse to either negotiate with the Indigenous owners or to make amends for the damage done by dispossession. Many Indigenous communities are in a parlous state, under threat both physically and culturally In Sovereign Subjects some of Indigenous Australia's emerging and well-known critical thinkers examine the implications for Indigenous people of continuing to live in a state founded on invasion. They show how for Indigenous people, self-determination, welfare dependency, representation, cultural maintenance, history writing, reconciliation, land ownership and justice are all inextricably linked to the original act of dispossession by white settlers and the ongoing loss of sovereignty. At a time when the old left political agenda has run its course, and the new right is looking increasingly morally bankrupt, Sovereign Subjects sets a new rights agenda for Indigenous politics and Indigenous studies."--Pub. website. Some of Indigenous Australia's emerging and well-known thinkers offer a critical perspective on the most important political and cultural issues facing Indigenous people today and set the agenda for further action