From the Director

2018 NIRAKN NEWSLETTER

Inside This IssueResearch Capacity Building

News Desk

Research Hero

Call For Papers

Contact Us

December 2018 - Volume 6 - Edition 2

Dear NIRAKN Members and Friends,

I welcome you to the final Newsletter of the year and the final NIRAKN Newsletter as a whole.

The network has had another busy year, setting the groundwork for the legacy phase. The National Hub has delivered numerous capacity building workshops this year to Indigenous postgraduates. Through the capacity building workshops offered to Indigenous postgraduates we continue to strive towards better Indigenous higher education outcomes for the country.

The ARC has approved the end date of NIRAKN to 2020. This year the National/Queensland Hub completed all of the required capacity building workshops in 2018. The other State Hubs will continue to offer capacity-building workshops in 2019. At the end of 2019 research capacity building will cease in the remaining States (NT, SA, NSW, VIC, ACT & TAS). All State Hubs will continue with working on their NIRAKN research projects into 2020.

At this time, I would like to thank the State Hub leaders: Professor Steve Larkin (NT and SA), Professor Mark McMillan (VIC, ACT and TAS), Dr Leanne Holt (NSW) and Professor Jill Milroy (WA) and the NIRAKN academic and administrative team for being integral to the legacy phase of NIRAKN.

I also thank Distinguished Professor Aileen Moreton-Robinson, who without her guidance and wisdom, NIRAKN would not exist nor would it have continued to prosper.

As I look forward, I must also take the time to look back on the last half of 2018. The Seminar Series ran from July to October with presentations from an international guest as well as two Postgraduate Seminars. In addition to the NIRAKN’s capacity building workshops offered by the National Hub, a national program occurred in November on the Gold Coast. Over 45 Indigenous postgraduates attended these November workshops. The attendance is impressive and reflects the quality of capacity building workshops offered by NIRAKN to Indigenous postgraduates.

2019 is looking to be a very eventful year, with both NAISA 2019 (Waikato) and the 2019 AIATSIS Conference (Brisbane) happening within the first half. I highly encourage all of you to consider both presenting and attending these two conferences – they are a terrific opportunity to engage with Indigenous academia and fellow scholars.

On behalf of the NIRAKN team, I wish you all a happy holiday season and a great new year.

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Sincerely,

Associate Professor Peter Anderson Director - NIRAKN

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The second half of 2018 started off with a jam-packed July full of NAIDOC Week celebrations and postgraduate graduations. The busy month was highlighted however with a special visit and presentation by Arizona State University Professor Rob Miller, who visited the QUT Kelvin Grove campus on July 30th.

A citizen of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, Professor Miller is an accomplished professor of law specialising in indigenous law and civil procedure. His presentation, “Free, Prior and Informed Consent and the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” focussed on and discussed the exact

language of ‘free, prior and informed consent’ within the declaration – and how this particular use of language resulted in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada opposing it.

The seminar saw a great turn out from many aspiring Indigenous undergraduates and postgraduates within Law and sparked many conversations stemming from the Indigenous Australian perspective of the declaration. We would once again like to thank Professor Miller for visiting us and delivering this thought provoking NIRAKN Seminar Series.

NIRAKN Seminar Series - Professor Rob Miller

2018 Research Capacity Building

Professor Rob Miller Arizona State University

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The NIRAKN Postgraduate Seminar Series continued for the second half of 2018, giving opportunities to Indigenous postgraduates (and recent graduates) to present on their research and higher education journey. These seminars are an invaluable forum for students to get real experience on public speaking and conference presentations as well as recognition and feedback for the work they’ve put in towards their research degree.

On August 9th, NIRAKN presented a Postgraduate Seminar by Dr Craig Cowled, recent graduate of QUT and the universities first Indigenous structural engineering

researcher, and the fifth in Australia. A descendent of the Worimi people (Port Stephens) and Tobwobba clans, Dr Cowled pursued a career in structural engineering after working in the construction industry and has since graduated with a PhD through his titled thesis “On the influence of Structural Complexity on the Global Vibration Characteristics of Steel Truss Bridges”.

Dr Cowled shared his remarkable PhD story through the lens of his family and ancestry, the persistence and resilience through his candidature, and the future, where he now teaches and mentors the next generation of Indigenous students.

NIRAKN Postgraduate Seminar Series - Dr Craig Cowled

2018 Research Capacity Building

Dr Craig Cowled

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The Queensland Hub (facilitated by

Associate Professor Peter Anderson

and Dr Levon Blue) hosted its annual

Indigenous Research Methodologies

Masterclass from September 17-

18 to a deadly group of Indigenous

postgraduates. Tailored towards

expanding their research capabilities,

the Masterclass aims to expose

postgrads to the importance and

complexities of Indigenous research

methodologies. It also provided

them the opportunity to connect and

network with other students who

are in similar stages of their research

journey and with PVC Professor Mark

McMillan (RMIT) who joined the group

on Day 1.

The workshops spanned multiple

topics throughout the two days and

covered the origin of methodologies,

Indigenous research methods,

Indigenous Standpoint theory and

what an Indigenous methodological

framework might look like.

Indigenous Research Methodologies Masterclass

2018 Research Capacity Building

Associate Professor Peter Anderson (center back), Dr Levon Blue (center right) and the IRMM QLD Cohort.

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Dr Levon Blue facilitated this

year’s Critical Reading Group with

Indigenous postgraduates from

Queensland who were seeking to

advance their critical reading skills.

The day long workshop challenged

the participants to critically engage

with a discipline specific article while

completing a worksheet that guided

them to critically examine the article.

The group then went on to read

another article that further challenged

their critical thinking and appraisal

skills.

Always designed to be collegial

and critically engaging, the Critical

Reading Group grants the opportunity

to gather and discuss critical works

in Indigenous Studies, exposing

participants to Indigenous critical

theory, critical engagement with

Indigenous Scholarship and ways

in which these can inform applied

research.

NIRAKN Critical Reading Group

2018 Research Capacity Building

Dr Levon Blue (center left) and the Critical Reading Group QLD Cohort.QUT

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QUT Law student Linda Renouf was the final presenter for the NIRAKN Postgraduate Seminar Series and saw a great representation of Indigenous undergraduates attend the presentation on October 15th. Linda is a descendant of the Gubbi Gubbi clan and is researching the over representation of Aboriginal young people in out-of-home care within Queensland.

Her research examines this phenomena and the importance Aboriginal young people place on traditional culture, cultural

responsibilities, maintaining connections with culture and country. Her presentation highlighted the gaps and the impacts that this can have on our young people and our culture in the future.

She hopes to go on to inform policy and guide decision makers and agencies in administering Aboriginal young people’s rights under respective governing legislation in Australia and internationally under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

NIRAKN Postgraduate Seminar Series - Linda Renouf

2018 Research Capacity Building

Linda Renouf

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The NIRAKN November Workshops were held on the 1st of November at the Hilton Hotel Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast. We had a deadly cohort of over 45 Indigenous postgraduates, making it the largest attended workshop of the year. It is incredibly encouraging to see so many students taking up the opportunities that NIRAKN provides and to keep seeing new faces every year.

The workshops not only provided an extensive coverage of knowledge and skills but also a number of network opportunities that will no doubt assist those who attended throughout their HDR journey and beyond. The workshops also served as an introduction of the NIRAKN State

Hub leaders, who taught on subjects relating to dissertation examination, career pathways, research profiles, practical writing tips, research project management and research ethics.

We would like to extend our thanks to Distinguished Professor Aileen Moreton-Robinson and the State Hub leaders Professor Mark McMillan, Professor Steve Larkin, Dr Leanne Holt and special guest speaker Professor Gary Thomas.

NIRAKN November Workshops

2018 Research Capacity Building

Top right: Opening addressBottom left: Networking DinnerBottom right (left-to-right): Dr Leanne Holt, Prof. Mark McMillan, Associate Prof. Peter Anderson & Prof. Steve Larkin

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NAISA is the largest scholarly organization devoted to critical Indigenous Studies.

The NAISA conference is an incredible opportunity for staff and students from

Indigenous Studies and other cognate disciplines from all over the world to

interact with some of the best Indigenous minds.

NIRAKN will co-host the 2019 NAISA Conference with the University of Waikato

in Hamilton, New Zealand from June 26-29. The Conference will be a great

opportunity for those unable to attend in the past due to travel distance and will

be a great celebration of Indigenous Studies with our Maori cousins. This annual

meeting represents the first time the global organization has met outside the

United States, Canada, and Hawaii.

For more information on the conference, please visit https://naisa2019.waikato.

ac.nz.

For information regarding accommodation, applying for travel grants and the

2019 Conference Program, please visit https://www.naisa.org/annual-meeting/

conference-information.

NAISA Conference 2019 - University of Waikato, New Zealand

News Desk

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The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) has announced that it would co-convene the conference with QUT at the university’s Gardens Point campus from July 1 to 3, 2019. The theme of the conference is Research for the 21st century and is expected to draw up to five-hundred local and international delegates including researchers, policymakers, cultural and collecting institutions, the corporate sector, and Indigenous organisations and communities.

The 2019 conference will build on the previous themes of impact and engagement, to explore the interweaving strands of the transformative capability of research and the transformation of Indigenous research for the 21st century.

AIATSIS welcomes a variety of presentation and workshop formats (ranging from 30 mins to 1.5 hours) including:

• Single or group presentations• Panel presentations• Workshops (activity-based, interactive and/or facilitated session)• Poster presentations

The deadline for submissions is Friday, 18 January, 2019 however decisions to accept abstracts will be made on a rolling basis. Click here to submit a paper.

AIATSIS 2019 Conference and Call For Papers

News Desk

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Each NIRAKN newsletter profiles Indigenous academics who attribute their path to success to working as a collective with communities, keeping connected to country and driving a national Indigenous led research agenda. In this edition, we feature a research hero who has been involved with NIRAKN as a HDR student and is now at the executive level as State Hub Leader: PVC Dr Leanne Holt from Macquarie University (State Hub Leader NSW).

Dr Leanne Holt is a Worimi and Biripai woman from the mid north coast of NSW. Dr Holt is currently the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous Strategy at Macquarie University and was previously the co-Director of the Wollotuka Institute at the University of Newcastle. Her research relates to higher education, policy and governance.

1. Where is your traditional country and what do you love most about it?

I am a Worimi woman from the Karuah/Port Stephens area, coastal NSW through my Lilley Knight family. I also have further links to Biripai country, just north of this, linked to my Bugg family. As a saltwater woman I haven’t travelled far from the coast

spending most of my life on Darkinjung country, Central Coast, NSW. I draw on my experiences, knowledges and relationships with these countries, families and communities to guide my own journey.

I love the coast and being near the beaches. However, I feel a deep connection with Karuah River that runs through Worimi country. The river banks are where my ancestors lived, and as far back as I know they were fisherman and oyster farmers. My grandfather’s spirit, through his ashes, was returned to the river once he passed over to the spirit world and I therefore feel connected to the river through the spirits of my ancestors.

2. In your capacity as an Indigenous Academic, what are your areas of expertise? How important is this work for Indigenous people?

My early tertiary qualifications were in Business Management and Human

NIRAKN Research Heroes

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Resources. My PhD, however, was in Education, researching The development of Aboriginal education in Australia, through the voices of the National Aboriginal Education Committee from 1972 through to 1989 when the National Aboriginal Education Policy was passed. I am currently Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy) and my recent interests focus on building success in Indigenous higher education.

I believe sharing our knowledges with all students and university communities is extremely important within higher education, as our voices and knowledges were silenced for so long. Our people have always valued education and post-invasion, access to both our traditional and Western education was disrupted for such a long period of time. The progress we have made to date can be attributed to those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that walked before us, through activism, leadership and resilience. We must continue to celebrate those successes and continue the legacy that they have passed on to us, as there is still so much progress.

3. Your research contributes significantly to a number of academies and universities across Australia. What are some of your recent highlights?

Earlier this year I led a section of a broader report focused on Whole of University Approaches to Indigenous Higher Education and currently in collaboration with Professor Steve Larkin as a NIRAKN research project, we are investigating factors of success for Indigenous PhD graduates. This study aims to identify the successful journeys of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD students, to create an empowering knowledge base for current and prospective Indigenous PhD candidates on the vital factors that influence success. The study will identify the social and academic enablers, post-PhD aspirations as well as the influencing factors of choosing their topic and the deemed legacy. Memorable stories and advice from PhD graduates will also be incorporated into the outcomes. The study will additionally explore the research relationships between students, universities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

NIRAKN Research Heroes

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4. What vision do you have for Indigenous academia in Australia? How do you see the future?

A space where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff feel a sense of belonging, valued for their experiences, knowledges the expertise they bring to the academy. Academic leadership that is centred around working with and responding to the aspirations of our communities. A collective of Australian Indigenous academia that is recognised for their outstanding contribution to Indigenous research leadership; locally, nationally and internationally resulting in a National Centre for Indigenous Research Excellence that responds to the continued needs of our communities.

5. What message would you like to express to the future generations of Indigenous academics?

Always have integrity and remain true to yourself as an Indigenous person with a responsibility to continue the legacy of our communities and ancestors. Remember where you come from and don’t act entitled and be seduced by the prospects of Western power by compromising what is right. We can always continue to learn – sometimes we need to ‘Listen to Learn not to Respond’. Give back, be passionate, be provocative and be willing to give forward.

I would like to make a disclaimer that irrelevant of the heading of this piece, I do not see myself as a hero, rather someone that has been moulded by the opportunity to work and play with some inspiring people throughout my career and study. As I have stated above, I take on the responsibility to contribute to their legacy.

NIRAKN Research Heroes

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Indigenous peoples from around the world share common experiences of colonisation and have been involved in the struggle for self-determination at the global level. Our collective politics have been shaped by our intellectual traditions which inform our work within the academy. The International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies (IJCIS) offers a virtual intellectual space for the dissemination of international scholarship from scholars across disciplines that include the Humanities, Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Law and Education in the field of Indigenous Studies. As Critical Indigenous studies is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary field we are seeking articles, review essays and book reviews from a variety of disciplines related to but not exclusive of the following topics:

For more information and to view previous editions: https://ijcis.qut.edu.au/

• Indigenous sovereignty and colonisation

• Indigenous people and the environment

• Indigenous politics and rights

• Indigenous people and the law

• Indigenous people and racism

• Indigenous people and new

technologies

• Indigenous visual art and performance

• Indigenous people and media

• Indigenous methodologies and research

• Indigenous cultures, heritage and

repatriation

• Indigenous science

• Indigenous economies

• Indigenous literature

• Indigenous pedagogy and education

• Indigenous health

• Indigenous feminisms

• Indigenous queer politics and theory

• Indigenous critical theory

• Indigenous history

• Indigenous identity

• Indigenous philosophy

• Indigenous film making

As a refereed journal with distinguished scholars across a range of disciplines on the editorial board, the quality of accepted submissions will be of the highest standard. The journal offers scope for critical international engagement and debate by bringing together emergent and ground breaking research in the field of Critical Indigenous studies from around the globe.

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2018 Scholarships & Fellowships

Charles Perkins Scholarship Closes 28 January 2019

Advance Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD Scholarship Open until funding pool is exhausted

ARC Discovery Projects Opens 10 December, 2018 Closes 27 February, 2019

ARC Discovery Indigenous Opens 10 December, 2018 Closes 27 March, 2019

Keep up to date with NIRAKN and its affiliates by following us on Twitter and Facebook. Simply click or search the following links to join the conversation:

Latest Edition of the International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies

The IJCIS offers scope for critical international engagement and debate by bringing together emergent and ground breaking research in the field of Critical Indigenous Studies from around the globe.

Previous editions and more information can be found at:

https://ijcis.qut.edu.au/

Become a Network Affiliate of NIRAKN

If you missed the chance to become a member of NIRAKN, you may be interested in becoming an Affiliate Member! Affiliate membership of the network is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics across Australia. For an application form and more information on how to apply, please contact nirakn@qut.edu.au

If you’re an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Postgraduate student, contact us now to ensure you’re receiving information about access to our events and programs through our Indigenous Postgraduates email list. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous community members are also welcome to keep up with our news through our ‘Friends of NIRAKN’ email list.

Email nirakn@qut.edu.au for more information.

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