CAEPR News

Welcome to the CAEPR News page. New items are added regularly.

Indigenous Community Governance Project A new series of online briefs titled Indigenous Governance Matters by the ICGP is now available from this website. The series is aimed at policy makers, Indigenous leaders, and Indigenous community organisations. The latest issue is focused on 'Institutions for governing: The rules of the governance game'. Posted: 8 May 2007

Aboriginal Interactions with the Criminal Justice System An ARC Linkage project grant to Dr Jerry Schwab and Dr Boyd Hunter from CAEPR and Dr Don Weatherburn, from the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research with partner organisation NSW Department of Attorney General entitled 'An inter-disciplinary analysis of the dynamics of Aboriginal interactions with the criminal justice system', will run to 2010. The focus of the project is the continuing over-representation of Indigenous Australians in prison, more than a decade after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. The project will identify the Indigenous pathways within the exisiting system, in order to alert policy makers to potential interventions at crucial junctures of criminal careers and will use dynamic statistical models to identify important socioeconomic and geographic factors. Qualitative data will facilitate a deeper understanding of processes underlying the high rates of Indigenous arrest and imprisonment. CAEPR welcomed Ms Kate Sullivan as a doctoral researcher on this project in March 2008. Updated: 8 May 2008

Doctoral research in Aboriginal art CAEPR is pleased to welcome Ms Catherine Slocum as a doctoral candidate. Cate is exploring issues relating to the market for Aboriginal art following the recent Senate Inquiry into the Indigenous Visual Arts Sector, having completed a Masters in art administration at the College of Fine Arts at UNSW. Posted: 8 May 2007

Robin Smythe: Visiting Indigenous Fellow Robin Smythe visited CAEPR in April 2008 as a Visiting Indigenous Fellow. Robin is Chairman of the Ngaanyatjarra Council in Western Australia and Deputy President of the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku. His first association with research was 20 years ago when he worked with CAEPR Fellow Maggie Brady on a petrol sniffing research project. He is currently working on his autobiography in collaboration with researchers David Brooks and CAEPR Post-doctoral Fellow Inge Kral, who have both worked extensively in the Ngaanyatjarra region. Posted: 8 May 2008

CAEPR: 2007 In Review The year 2007 was a tumultuous period in Indigenous affairs. The Northern Territory National Emergency intervention dominated national policy debate and raised the profile of Indigenous Australia in the nation's psyche to unprecedented levels. As a result CAEPR, a research centre that focuses on Indigenous development nationally, as well as from a national policy perspective, was forced to focus much attention on the Northern Territory and in particular on just 73 so-called 'prescribed areas'. Considerable research effort was directed in the second half of 2007 to an analysis and critique of the Northern Territory intervention. The resulting book, titled Coercive Reconciliation: Stabilise, Normalise, Exit Aboriginal Australia was edited by Jon Altman and Melinda Hinkson (School of Archaeology and Anthropology). The book (published by Arena Publications, Melbourne) assesses the intervention from the perspectives of human rights, welfare and land rights reforms, Indigenous representation and reconciliation, and the recognition of cultural diversity. Renewed Commonwealth and State/Territory support for CAEPR occurred during 2007 through investment in a major research project 'Indigenous demographic trends'. This project was negotiated and is led by Dr John Taylor and will be funded by the Ministerial Council on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (MCATSIA) for three years to conduct wide-ranging research on Indigenous demographic, social and economic trends. Three new staff have been recruited: Dr Nicholas Biddle, Dr Sarah Prout and Ms Mandy Yap. This different approach to enhance understanding of demographic trends is of fundamental importance to policy making and targeting of resources to address Indigenous development need. Another exciting development in 2007 was the partnership that CAEPR formalised with the Myer Foundation for a three to five year research project 'People on Country: Indigenous poverty alleviation through community-based natural resource management in north Australia'. Sean Kerins and Geoffrey Buchanan working on this with a number of Caring for Country projects in the Top End of Australia, while Amelia Ens, an ecologist, will join them in July 2008. Two new ARC grants will commence in 2008. Boyd Hunter and Jerry Schwab were successful in an ARC Linkage Project application 'An inter-disciplinary analysis of the dynamics of Aboriginal interactions with the criminal justice system' with the New South Wales Department of Attorney General as Industry Partner. This Project will fund Ms Kate Sullivan as a doctoral student. In September 2007, Jon Altman was awarded an Australian Professorial Fellowship for a five year period for the project 'Hybrid economic futures for remote Indigenous Australia: Linking poverty reduction and natural resource management'. Three CAEPR doctoral scholars Inge Kral, Nicholas Biddle and Benedict Scambary submitted their theses and had their doctorates conferred in 2008. Inge Kral was awarded the Australian Anthropological Society PhD Thesis prize for 2007 for thesis by research, for her dissertation 'Writing Words - Right Way! Literacy and Social Practice in the Ngaanyatjarra World'. CAEPR congratulates its students on these excellent educational and later employment outcomes. Details of CAEPR staff's activities are available in the CAEPR 2007 Annual Report. Professor Jon Altman Director, CAEPR Posted: 8 May 2008

			Aboriginal Education and Training in Remote Australia Final Report to the Warlpiri Education and Training Trust Advisory Committee: Options for Education and Training This report by Dr R.G. (Jerry) Schwab, CAEPR, was commissioned by the Central Land Council as the agency administering the Warlpiri Education and Training Trust (WETT) The report is intended to provide clear models of Aboriginal education and training approaches and structures and identify some broad options for support under WETT, which receives royalties from mining activity in the Tanami region. These options are then to be the subject of thorough consultations by CLC staff with Warlpiri people in the 4 Warlpiri communities and relevant others. That consultation is intended to culminate in the development of several regional education and training programs that will make a significant difference to education and training outcomes amongst Warlpiri people. The report makes five recommendations: Establishing a Warlpiri Early Childhood Institute-a preschool facility and day care centre operated by Warlpiri staff where early childhood courses are taught and child health and other services are provided. Funding development of a curriculum for a Warlpiri Parent Education and Parent Support Program, as research clearly shows that one of the ways to ensure children have the best start in life is for parents to have knowledge about antenatal health, nutrition and child development. Outfitting and operating a Warlpiri Youth New Media Project, based on hopeful signs of social and educational re-engagement in Indigenous youth arts and media programs. Building Warlpiri training through an enterprise program, based on the Good Food Kitchen program in Maningrida. Developing a Warlpiri Learning Community, possibly with the local school operating as a hub. The full report has been made available with permission from the Central Land Council. Posted: 20 July 2007

Indigenous Australians and Alcohol Control This ARC Discovery Project grant Indigenous Australians and Alcohol Control: The Impact of Hotel Ownership on Harm Reduction and Social and Economic Development was awarded to Drs Maggie Brady and Boyd Hunter, and will see Dr Brady (right) take up a prestigious QEII Five-year Fellowship in late 2007. The project investigates Indigenous social enterprise that intersects with the alcohol industry. Findings will benefit the Indigenous governing bodies of licensed premises and their communities, health and liquor regulation authorities and the country as a whole. The research addresses policy uncertainty surrounding Indigenous ownership of licensed premises and whether this achieves anticipated economic and social goals and reduces alcohol-related problems. Harm minimisation is an object of liquor licensing acts in most jurisdictions in Australia. Indigenous owned licensed premises are well placed to implement responsible alcohol service and promote harm minimisation in keeping with Australian best practice. Posted: 20 July 2007

Lifespan Learning and Literacy for Young Adults in Remote Indigenous Communities This ARC Linkage Project grant was awarded to Dr Jerry Schwab with the Fred Hollows Foundation as Industry Partner. An especially pleasing aspect of this project is the associated appointment of Inge Kral, who has just completed her PhD at CAEPR, as the postdoctoral fellow on the project. The project will focus on engagement with learning across the lifespan and increased literacy skills among early school leavers and other young adults. Direct benefits to remote Indigenous communities and to the nation include the increased ability of this next generation of Indigenous adults to develop the skills and confidence required to actively build stable and self-reliant institutions, improve social and economic circumstances and enhance the health of their families and communities. Additional benefits will flow from the enhanced capacity of individuals to participate effectively in the national economy and from more positive spending of public funds on evidence-based programs that work rather than ongoing problem alleviation. Posted: 20 July 2007

			Indigenous Community Governance Project Research Findings Janet Hunt and Diane Smith have recently published CAEPR Working Paper No. 36, 'Indigenous Community Governance Project: Year two research findings'. This is the second research report by the Indigenous Community Governance Project, which has the subtitle 'Understanding, Building and Sustaining Effective Governance in Rural, Remote and Urban Indigenous Australia', and is undertaken with Industry Partner, Reconciliation Australia. The project is exploring the nature of Indigenous community governance in Australia-to understand what works, what doesn't work, and why. This report brings together findings from the fieldwork conducted during 2006, based on evidence drawn from case studies of Indigenous governance in action within differing community, geographical, cultural and political settings across the nation. It focuses on six major governance issues that have come to the fore in the 2006 research. These are: the conceptual complexity of 'communities' nodal leadership in Indigenous communities networked governance and associated Indigenous design principles cultural legitimacy governance capacity development, and the governance capacity of governments. The research data and implications for each of these issues are set out in the six main sections of the report. The report identifies a number of practical program and governance development responses that could meaningfully contribute to addressing current governance gaps and shortfalls identified in the case studies. If adopted, these recommendations should result in improved and more sustainable outcomes in Indigenous governance at the local level. Note: An associated document summarising the findings of Working Paper 36, 'Further key insights from the Indigenous Community Governance Project, 2006' is also available. Posted: 20 July 2007

			Our Electronic Library In early 2007 the entire CAEPR back catalogue was made available in electronic format through this website. All CAEPR publications are now available for free download from the CAEPR website, as well as for purchase in hard copy. Recent CAEPR publications include: Discussion Paper 285 ‘Local governments and Indigenous interests in Australia’s Northern Territory’, by W. Sanders. Discussion Paper 284, ‘Mãori land and development finance’, by C. Linkhorn. Working Paper 36, ‘Indigenous Community Governance Project: Year two research findings’, by J. Hunt & D.E. Smith. Working Paper 35, ‘Indigenous people in the West Kimberley labour market’, by J. Taylor. Posted: 20 July 2007