Indigenous Nation (Re)Building (INB) curriculum is drawn from research and experiences of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, and is informed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nation (re) building efforts in Australia. The programs are based on the foundation knowledge that Aboriginal Nations have always been here, however, the process of colonisation has impacted negatively upon first peoples. It recognises that today many Aboriginal Nations are actively leading efforts to rebuild self-governance, capacity, and strengths to shape the futures that Aboriginal people want and to work towards putting them in place.

Within this context the INB program examines the development challenges faced by contemporary Indigenous nations within Australia. It is built upon extensive North American and Australian research that finds that political self-governance is a more important factor to Indigenous nations being able to achieve their economic and community development goals than any other factor. Those Indigenous nations or communities working to put in place the necessary institutional and strategic foundations to achieve sustainable self-governance – nations that are Indigenous nation building (or rebuilding) – are those able to achieve their self-determined goals. 

A nation (re)building program for Aboriginal communities requires the delivery of key foundational knowledge and appropriately differentiated programs for diverse communities, accounting for cultural or linguistic requirements for curriculum and course materials.  

The foundational knowledge will focus on some or all of the following aspects:

  • Culture and governance
  • Intergovernmental relations
  • Governance for nation rebuilding
  • Recognition, reconciliation and respect
  • Leadership and self-determination
  • Disputes and complaint resolution processes

Curriculum is developed after extensive consultation with each Community and designed to meet the Community's needs and aspirations.

Research evidence and delivery of nation (re)building curricula in the United States finds that face-to-face delivery of nation (re)building programs increases the impact of teaching and enhances community capacities for self-governance. Sequential modules adapted to the priority needs of each community and relevant to their current capacities maximises nation (re)building skills and literacy. Importantly, face-to-face interaction also provides the opportunity to develop a cohort of local ‘nation (re)builders’ to support each other and to create networks of support to apply learning in the communities. 

The Aboriginal Nations (Re)Building Curriculum program is foundational to the development of a ‘from community to higher degree pathway’. It provides an opportunity for further professional and tertiary courses and degrees in Aboriginal Nation (Re)Building.  The higher degree program deep dives into four key areas, focused on Indigenous Nation Building and Governance, Indigenous Economic Development and Finance, Indigenous Leadership and Changemaking, and Strategy and Risk.

Get in touch

Professor Daryle Rigney
Director: Daryle.Rigney@uts.edu.au

Mandy Price
Research Project Manager: Mandy.Price@uts.edu.au
0491 154 100