Resources and publications
Title | Author /s | Summary | Date | Tag(s) | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A corporation's rulebook: What you need to know | Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations | Summary of what information must be included in a rulebook for corporations registered under the CATSI Act. |
Constitutions, ORIC, Rule book | Information Sheet | |
A guide to writing good governance rules for PBCs and RNTBCs | Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations | This guide complements the Rule book info kit and is for prescribed bodies corporate (PBCs) and Registered Native title bodies corporate (RNTBCs) who have extra responsibilities under the Native Title Act 1993. It describes some of the important issues that need to be considered when writing rules for these types of corporations. It also suggests some specific rules. It is designed for PBCs, RNTBCs and groups intending to hold or manage native title. |
CATSI Act, Constitutions, ORIC, Rule book | Information Sheet | |
A Toolkit for Developing Community-based Dispute Resolution Processes in First Nations Communities | Canada Human Rights Commission | The Canadian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) created this toolkit to offer assistance to First Nations governments that want to address discrimination complaints in their communities using a community-based dispute resolution process. |
Capacity building, Dispute management, Leadership | Report | |
Aboriginal assets? the impact of major agreements associated with native title in Western Australia | Sarah Prout Quicke, Alfred Michael Dockery, Aileen Hoath | This report, conducted for the Department of Regional Development, addresses the question of how effective agreements arising from native title determinations are at meeting the needs and aspirations of Aboriginal peoples who have achieved, or are pursuing (through registered native title claims), legal recognition as native title holders. The report research is based on a review of relevant academic and ‘grey’ literature as well as case studies of the experiences of three Western Australian Aboriginal native title groups in their efforts to leverage agreements with government and industry to enhance their wellbeing and pursue their aspirations. |
Agreements, ILUA (Indigenous Land Use Agreement), Mining, Native Title Act, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate), Trusts | Report | |
Aboriginal Carbon Foundation | Aboriginal Carbon Foundation | Aboriginal Carbon Foundation is a national not-for-profit company building and nurturing a sustainable Aboriginal carbon industry. |
Carbon farming, Commercial development, Employment, Environment, Fire | Website | |
About Native Title Applications | National Native Title Tribunal | Types of native title claims. |
Native Title Act, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate) | Information Sheet | |
Against Native Title | Dr Eve Vincent | 'Against native title' is about a divisive native title claim in the town of Ceduna where the claims process has thoroughly reorganised local Aboriginal identities over the course of the past decade. The central character in this story is senior Aboriginal woman Sue Haseldine, who, with her extended family, have experienced native title as an unwelcome imposition: something that has emanated from the state and out of which they gained only enemies. But this is not simply a tale of conflict. Threaded throughout is the story of a twice-yearly event called 'rockhole recovery'; trips that involve numerous days of four-wheel drive travel to a series of permanent water sources and Dreaming sites. Through rockhole recovery Sue Haseldine and her family continue to care for, and maintain connections to country, outside of the native title process. This is a vivacious and very human story, which pursues a controversial and much neglected line of enquiry in which native title is not necessarily seen as a force for recognition and Indigenous empowerment. To purchase this resource from the AIATSIS shop please follow this link. |
Dispute management, Native Title Act | Book | |
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in Aboriginal contexts: A critical review | Wenona Victor for the Canadian Human Rights Commission | What processes are available to help Aboriginal people resolve their conflicts internally? What are the most common challenges implementing such a process? This report examines three dispute resolution processes and the differences between Indigenous and Western practices. |
Dispute management | Article / paper | |
Anthropology and connection reports in native title claim applications | Dr Julie Finlayson | This paper discusses the purposes and form of the reports, their differentiation from the NNTT registration process, considerations anticipating litigation, confidentiality and potential conflicts of interest by the State as respondent. |
AIATSIS, Dispute management, Government, Indigenous knowledge, Legal | Article / paper | |
Authorisation and decision-making in native title | Nick Duff | Native title involves an interface between the Australian legal system and Indigenous legal, cultural and political systems. The assertion and management of native title rights involves collective action by sometimes large and disparate groups of Indigenous people. Contentious politics makes such collective action difficult and the courts will often be asked to decide whether group decisions have been validly made. In the last two decades a vast and complex body of law and practice has developed to address this challenge. Authorisation law is a set of principles about how the views and intentions of native title claimants or holders are translated into legally effective decisions. This book sets out the legal rules and their application in various situations: native title claims, native title agreement-making, decision-making by native title corporations, and compensation applications. It also addresses key practical, ethical and political dimensions of native title decision-making. This book will be useful for native title practitioners including lawyers, judges and native title holders. It will also be relevant to academic research into the ethical, political and anthropological dimensions of Indigenous governance. |
Decision making, ILUA (Indigenous Land Use Agreement), Native Title Act, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate) | Book | |
Board dispute resolution policy template | Effective Governance | The board of [Organisation] is committed to reaching a prompt and fair resolution of any disputes, conflicts, or disagreements that may arise from time to time, and that may threaten the functioning of the board. |
Dispute management, Governance | Template | |
Building Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Governance: Report of a Survey and Forum to Map Current and Future Research and Practical Resource Needs | Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies | In Australia today there are an estimated 8000 to 9000 Indigenous organisations, many of which are incorporated under Commonwealth, state or territory legislation. Their governance work is often seen by Indigenous people as nation-building: an expression of self-determination and a way of reconceptualising relations with governments and asserting unique cultural traditions. The effective governance of these organisations is critical to attracting funding, promoting sustainable economic activity and building resilient communities. It is now recognised that Indigenous governance and the governance of governments are intertwined and the latter is receiving greater critical scrutiny. A growing number of research projects, governance building initiatives and practical resources are providing evidence of what works, what doesn’t and why. But the opportunities to evaluate this evidence, consider strategic priorities and build collaborations are limited. On 29–30 July 2014, AIATSIS and AIGI convened an Indigenous governance forum in Canberra to provide such an opportunity. In preparation, a survey of Indigenous governance research, practical resources and future needs was widely circulated. This report provides a synthesis of ideas, comments, issues and possibilities identified through the survey and the forum. |
AIATSIS, Governance, Native Title Act | Report | |
Caring for country and sustainable Indigenous development: Opportunities, constraints and innovation | John Altman, Peter Whitehead | This paper explores how Indigenous community-based natural resource management can generate both conservation benefit and economic development opportunity. We begin by noting that much of the Indigenous estate in north Australia is either thinly populated or unpopulated. There is emerging evidence that, in situations where Indigenous people live on their country, ecological and wider benefits are generated via favourable fire regimes, control over weed infestations, and potentially through feral animal harvesting. When people are on country, they generate economic benefit for themselves by harvesting wildlife for consumption and engage with the market sector by using natural resources in commercial enterprise like arts and crafts production. We argue that there is a strong correlation between such activities and cost-effective natural resource management. Links between landcare, wildlife use and biodiversity conservation need to be recognized, celebrated and supported. The removal of many barriers to enhanced and innovative Indigenous participation in such activities, and equitable public support through programs like Landcare, will facilitate sustainable economic development options that are compatible with Indigenous priorities, while ameliorating Indigenous disadvantage. |
CAEPR, Caring for Country, Commercial development, Community development, Environment, Fire, Land and sea management | Article / paper | |
Check-up: Our dispute resolution processes | Australian Indigenous Governance Institute | All of the statements in this document are about the best-practice processes and systems your organisation has for managing disputes and addressing complaints, grievances and appeals. Tick your level of agreement or disagreement with each and then note what priority it is for your organisation. |
Dispute management, Governance, Resolution | Guide | |
Compensation fact sheet | National Native Title Council | This fact sheet provides general information for native title compensation under the Native Title Act 1993 (NTA). |
Compensation, Native Title Act | Fact sheet | |
Complaints involving corporations | Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations | Advice for dealing with complaints. |
Dispute management, ORIC | Information Sheet | |
Connection to Country: Review of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) (ALRC Report 126) | Australian Law Reform Commission | This report marks the first major review of ‘connection’ in native title claims—central to native title determinations—since the introduction of the Native Title Act. The report also examines authorisation of persons bringing native title claims and joinder of parties, and includes 30 recommendations for reform. |
Community development, Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous law, Native Title Act, Resolution | Report | |
Constitutions Resource Centre | Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona | The Native Nations Institute’s web-based Constitutions Resource Center (CRC) brings together extensive research on Indigenous constitutions, examples of the constitutional changes that Native nations are making, and videos of Native leaders and other governance experts talking about constitutional change. The site provides Native nations with access to a comprehensive set of tools and Native nation examples that can be helpful in the process of constitutional reform. |
Constitutions, Governance | Website | |
Country needs People | Country needs People | The Country Needs People campaign is fighting for the growth and security of opportunities for land and sea country management by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. |
Caring for Country, Community development, Environment, Fire, Fishing, Land and sea management, Rangers / caring for country, Youth | Website | |
Decision-making: Constitutions of Prescribed Bodies Corporate | Ashleigh Blechynden | The Prescribed Body Corporate (PBC) research snapshot series has been developed to share findings from the Native Title Research Unit’s (NTRU) investigation into the constitutions and financial reports of PBCs. This research forms part of the PBC Capability project which aims to develop a long-term national picture of the PBC sector. This snapshot examines the decision-making processes identified by PBCs within their constitutions including voting processes, quorum requirements and the use of independent directors. |
CATSI Act, Constitutions, Decision making, Native Title Act, PBCs (Prescribed Body / Bodies Corporate), Rule book | Report |