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Department of Indigenous Studies

Research in Indigenous Studies

Warawara, The Department of Indigenous Studies, conducts research in a wide range of interdisciplinary fields and topics. Potential research projects should be discussed with Warawara staff, but we place no real "limits" on project topics, so long as they fit into the overall methods and ethics of Indigenous Studies. The department is keen to take on new and challenging projects and work with people incorporating a wide array of disciplines and techniques and is not limited to Aboriginal Australia, although that tends to be our primary research area (some Warawara projects deal with Maori, Torres Straight Islander, Native American, Bangladeshi, Indigenous Chinese, etc).

Most any research projects relating to Indigenous Studies can be pursued in Warawara for Honours, Graduate Diploma, MPhil, and PhD degrees. Most honours and postgrad projects in Warawara are in conjunction with other university departments or institutions.

Current Research Projects

  • (Re)emergent traditional Indigenous cultural practices in urban contexts
  • Aboriginal Astronomy
  • Rock Art Science
  • Communication in the Jumma community (indigenous to Bangladesh)
  • Community Management
  • Construction of Indigenous reality through spatial misappropriation
  • Global Indigenous Studies' contribution to Post-Modern theory
  • Indigenous Education
  • Indigenous Health and Ageing
  • Indigenous Human Rights
  • Indigenous people's experience of learning and academic work
  • The Apology
  • The Intervention
  • The Stolen Generations


Publications

  • Wade-Leeuwen, B., 2009, 'Heart Print: Chinese Rock Art Frescoes (Xin-yin): Crossing Boarders', The International Journal of Arts in Society 4(4): 179-187

  • Norris, R. P. and Hamacher, D. W., 2009, 'The Astronomy of Aboriginal Australia', In The Role of Astronomy in Society and Culture, edited by D. Valls-Gabaud and A. Boksenberg, Proceedings IAU Symposium No. 260

  • Everett, K., 2009, 'Welcome to Country... Not', Oceania, Vol 79(1)

  • Everett, K., 2009, 'Traditional Urban Aboriginal Religion' in Coolabah (Accepted)

  • Everett, K., 2009, 'Urban Aboriginal Ceremony: when seeing is not believing', in Curthoys, A. and Docker, J. (eds).

  • Everett, K., 2009, 'Ethics for the Social Sciences', MQ on-line ethics module with Wynn, L.L. and Mason, P.

  • Norris, R.P., 2008, "In search of Aboriginal Astronomy", Australian Sky & Telescope, March/April

  • Norris, R.P., 2008, "Star Dreaming in Arnhem Land", Cosmos, April/May

  • Norris, R.P., 2008, "Emu Dreaming", Australasian Science, Vol 29(4)


PhD Theses

  • Smith, K.V., 2008, PhD


Honours Theses

  • Hummell, E., 2008, "'Sorry': the national apology to the Stolen Generatons"

  • Wighton, P., 2008, "'Urban' Indigenous art: debates, photography, & empowerment"

  • Hammond, R., 2008, "Policy and Representation: continuous cultures, ongoing responsibilities"


If you are Warawara staff or alumni and would like your publications or thesis added to this page, please send the details and a PDF of (or link to) the article/thesis (if applicable) to Duane Hamacher at [duane.hamacher -at- mq.edu.au].