Resources and publications

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.

The Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC) aims to foster and nurture a new era of Indigenous leadership by:

• Helping to Close the Gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by providing Indigenous leadership training and support
• Developing a network of graduates across Australia to provide support and further opportunities to learn and develop leadership skills
• Researching the primary enablers of effective leadership in an Indigenous context
• Promoting the value of Indigenous leadership nationally.

As Australia’s only national provider of accredited Indigenous leadership education programs, the AILC has transformed the lives of more than 2000 graduates since it was established in 2001.

This is a preliminary research report from the first year of fieldwork conducted by the Indigenous Community Governance Project (ICGP). The Project is exploring the nature of Indigenous community governance in diverse contexts and locations across Australia through a series of diverse case studies—to understand what works, what doesn’t work, and why. A comparative analysis of the Project’s case studies is revealing that governance and decision-making in Indigenous community governance is shaped by multiple historical, cultural and political relationships. Family and governance histories associated with particular communities and sets of regionally-linked communities are central features in community governance dynamics and arrangements. Strengthening Indigenous community governance requires negotiating appropriate contemporary relationships among the different Indigenous people within a region or community, and adapting or creating structures and processes to reflect important relationships. Several dimensions are being identified as being fundamental to building stronger, sustainable governance at the community and regional levels. These are the impact of the wider ‘governance environment’, cultural match and cultural geography, modes of leadership and representation, institutional capacity, organisational design and relationships, representation, decision-making processes, and human resource issues. Capacity development for governance needs to be considered within a systems framework and should be a process that actively strengthens Indigenous decision-making and control over their core institutions, goals and identity, and that enhances cultural match and legitimacy. The report concludes with some emerging issues and implications for policy makers and for Indigenous organisations and their leaders.

While Indigenous people make up just five percent of the global population, the areas they manage contain approximately 80 percent of the Earth’s biodiversity. 

In this context, there is an undeniably central role for Indigenous people to play in conservation management, but conversely, a significant risk that indigenous rights will be negatively impacted or undermined by conservation agendas. 

This panel will explore Indigenous experiences with conservation management, highlighting the opportunities and challenges faced by native title holders within this context.

This collection of papers examines the dilemmas and challenges involved in the Indigenous struggle for the development and recognition of systems of governance that they recognise as both legitimate and effective.

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.

Australian Indigenous land and sea managers have repeatedly called for an independent national Indigenous land and sea managers network. Such a network would link top down and bottom up information exchanges, promoting shared understandings of issues and opportunities. The network would provide government with a vehicle to both inform and learn from local Indigenous groups, including community rangers, on local, national and international matters of environmental significance. It also provides an opportunity for Indigenous managers to come together to develop positions on policy that affects land and sea management such as Working on Country and Indigenous Protected Areas.

The network would not do business on behalf of people or replicate existing local or regional networks or institutions, but would provide strategic support, coordinate communication and identify opportunities for group to group skills and knowledge exchange. The network aims to provide professional support through a coordinated learning environment that facilitates the identification of effective resources, research, technologies and tools for use by Indigenous land and sea managers within Australia. This workshop provides an opportunity for Land & Sea Managers to come together to discuss the purpose and scope of a national network, including governance, networking and membership.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander models of community and regional governance are based on networks of interconnected layers of leaders, groups of people, and land-ownership rights and interests. They are arranged in different ways, depending on what suits the particular community or organisation. 

This information is designed to help trustees and directors of Māori organisations with their responsibilities and role as guardians and leaders.

It aims to support those who have taken up that challenge by sharing best practice on the essential elements of effective governance. Whether it’s for a small whanau trust or a major trading company, there are sound principles for safeguarding and growing assets for the benefit of their owners.

While gender and age are often noted as being important dimensions of Indigenous leadership and governance, they have rarely been examined in detail. This paper focuses specifically on the gender and age of directors on the boards of prescribed bodies corporate (PBCs), the corporations established to hold and/or manage native title rights and interests.

A predominant view persists of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women as excluded or marginalised in native title. Statistical data for the year 2011–12 reveals, however, that women’s representation on PBC boards is higher than that found in mainstream sectors, while the literature reveals a complex picture of cultural, historical, demographic, institutional and intercultural factors that influence men’s and women’s participation and power in the native title arena.

A key generational concern is the relatively low number of older people and the growing number of young people in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population. Viewed in relation to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population and projected changes, the pool of potential PBC directors looks likely to grow in coming years. This paper argues that, as an increasingly significant sector, PBCs have the potential to both contribute to and benefit from the strengthening of community capacity but this potential will not be realised until the constraints on the capacity of PBCs to meet their statutory obligations and pursue native title holder aspirations are addressed.

These presentation slides during National Native Title Conference 2015 present the topic, good Indigenous governance and effective native title management: Travelling companions on the road to Self Determination. 

The topic 'Governing the Organisation' from the Indigenous Governance Toolkit has nine sections.

1. Governing the organisation
2. Roles, responsibilities and rights of a governing body
3. Accountability: what is it, to whom and how?
4. Decision-making by the governing body
5. Governing finances and resources
6. Communicating
7. Future planning
8. Building capacity and confidence for governing bodies
9. Case studies

This report is based on the workshop, Implementing native title: Indigenous leadership in land and water livelihoods, held at the 2015 National Native Title Conference, 16-18 June, Port Douglas, Queensland. It details the ways several Indigenous communities from around Australia are implementing their rights and interests following the restitution of their land and sea territories.

The Northern Territory Government engaged the Northern Institute of Charles Darwin Universityto provide research and support in governance and leadership for members of the Indigenous communities of Milingimbi, Gapuwiyak, Ntaria Ramingining and Wurrumiyanga.

The goals of this program were to improve understanding of the contemporary functioning and interactions of Aboriginal and Western governance traditions, and grow capacities and understandings in governance and leadership in remote communities.

Vimeo page by Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa. Includes videos about their,

• Leadership program
• Partnerships
• Land management

The topic 'Leadership' from the Indigenous Governance Toolkit has seven sections,

1. Leadership for governance
2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership
3. The challenges of leadership
4. Evaluating your leadership
5. Youth leadership and succession planning
6. Building leadership capacity to govern
7. Case studies

This publication is intended for Indigenous communities and organisations, and aimed at promulgating successful management initiatives that could be adopted by other organisations working in similar fields. Indigenous communities can use this handbook as a practical source of ideas and an inspiration for adoption and adaptation.

Information is organised in this handbook as a tour through a typical organisation, starting at the front door and moving through the different areas or rooms. Readers can go directly to their main area of interest, such as the accounts department, read straight through or browse. The plans do not represent any particular organisation. At the end of the book, there are brief snapshots of the participating organisations. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to any issue. In fact, many organisations have found different solutions to the same problems. The road to success is always under construction.

The North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance Ltd (NAILSMA) is a leader in finding practical solutions to support Indigenous people manage their land and sea resources into the future. NAILSMA, a not-for-profit company, has over a decade of experience in delivering complex and challenging programs across north Australia.

The Community Tool Box contains a range of information about community development including resources on strategic planning, leadership and communication.

The Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report measures the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

This comprehensive report card measures where things have improved (or not) against 52 indicators across a range of areas including governance, leadership and culture, early childhood, education, health, home and safe and supportive communities, and includes case studies on things that work to improve outcomes.

The report is produced in consultation with all Australian governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.