Melbourne, Australia - 31 May 2007 - Despite the promise of legal recognition of Native titles for Indigenous Australians, complicated court processes convoluting the technical process has effectively excluded full participation by grassroots Native title claimants and other stakeholders. South Australia stands out in that it practices a very different set of process built on relationships of trust and mutual recognition.
A paper by Howitt et. al. titled, "(Re)asserting Indigenous Rights and Jurisdictions within a Politics of Place: the Transformative Nature of Native Title Negotiations in South Australia"Â, provides analysis and insight into this issue - looking at South Australia's Statewide Indigenous Land Use Agreement Negotiation Strategy.
With the South Australian government's embracing of the opportunity to rebuild the politics of place based on mutual recognition of coexistence, relationships where coexistence and recognition of Native title have developed; enabling a more inclusive and sustainable cultural and economic landscape in the state.
Lead author Richie Howitt, of the Department of Human Geography at Macquarie University said, "Written by staff from the Native Title Unit of ALRM and their consultants, the paper reports on evaluation of negotiations aimed at recognizing and settling Native title issues in South Australia that have been proceeding since mid-1999."Â
"We have, in this paper, sought to identify and outline factors critical in moving towards comprehensive settlements that are just, sustainable and beneficial to all affected parties."Â
Mr. Howitt added, "The research affects the way in which people can understand the opportunities presented to governments and industry of developing a just and sustainable approach to Native title issues rather than assuming that Native title is a threat and that its recognition is something to be opposed through complex and costly court action."Â
This special themed Indigenous Rights issue of Geographical Research will also include the following articles:
· J. Johnson, E. Peters, R. Howitt, G. Cant; Creating Anti-colonial Geographies: Embracing Indigenous Peoples' Knowledges and Rights
· J. Johnson, B. Murton; Replacing Native Science: Indigenous Voices in Contemporary Constructions of Nature
· R. Louis; Can you Hear us now? Voices from the Margin: Using Indigenous Methodologies in Geographical Research
· D. Turnbull; Maps, Narratives and Trails: Performativity, Hodology and Distributed Knowledge in Complex Adaptive Systems - an Approach to Emergent Mapping
· S. Wright, S. Suchet-Pearson, K. Lloyd; An Interwoven Learning Exchange: Transforming Research-Teaching Relationships
· G. Malone; Ways of Belonging: Reconciliation and Adelaide's Public Space Indigenous Cultural Markers
· R. Laerence; Corporate Social Responsibility, supply chains and Saami Claims: Tracing the Political in the Finnish Forestry Industry
· J. Riseth; An Indigenous Perspective on National Parks and Saami Reindeer Management in Norway
· B. Coombes; Postcolonial Conservation and Kiekie Harvests at Morere, New Zealand - Abstracting Indigenous Knowledges from Indigenous Polities
· P. Agius, T. Jenkin, S. Jarvis, R. Howitt, R. Williams; (Re)asserting Indigenous Rights and Jurisdictions within a Politics of Place: the Transformative Nature of Native Title Negotiations in South Australia
This paper is published in the June 2007 issue of Geographical Research (Vol. 45, No. 2, 194 - 202). Media who would like copies of the articles should contact Alina Boey, PR & Communications Manager, Asia, at 613-8359 1046 or email alina.boey@asia.blackwellpublishing.com
This press release is also available online at http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/press/pressitem.asp?ref=1259
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