From Governance to Government: Local Level Approaches to Building Self-Government and Political Representation of Indigenous Nations
Monday, August 26, 2024 |
4:10 PM - 4:25 PM |
Auditorium |
Overview
Dr Janine Gertz, Research Fellow, University of Queensland’s Centre for Indigenous Futures
Speaker
Dr Janine Gertz
Research Fellow
University of Queensland’s Centre for Indigenous Futures
From Governance to Government: Local Level Approaches to Building Self-Government and Political Representation of Indigenous Nations
Abstract
Aboriginal people have been making decisions about their culture, communities, country, and economies for millennia. Australian state-imposed corporation models for service delivery and political representation promote a reactive state-dependent governance approach. This contrasts with a self-government approach that delivers a proactive, deliberate community development program which is specifically designed to empower the socio-cultural-economic success of Indigenous Nations. As Indigenous Nations move towards negotiating treaties, agreements, and other constructive arrangements with Australian Governments, they will need to develop self-determining, self-governing processes that represent and are accountable to the Indigenous Nation itself. Janine’s presentation will discuss the deliberate programs sovereignty, self-determination, and nationhood that she has proposed for the Gugu Badhun Nation and will discuss some operational strategies and methods that Indigenous Nations may need to undertake in transitioning to self-determining, self-governing polities that represent the cultural, social, economic & political aspirations of the Nations.
Biography
Dr Janine Gertz, is a Gugu Badhun citizen and a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland’s Centre for Indigenous Futures. Her research interests centre on the political representation and self-government strategies of Indigenous Nations and is grounded in her community development work with the Gugu Badhun Aboriginal Nation. Janine was recently announced the winner of the prestigious 2023 Stanner Award —AIATSIS’ biennial prize for the best academic writing by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander author. Her winning entry was for her PhD thesis ‘Gugu Badhun Sovereignty, Self-Determination and Nationhood.’