First Nations Resources

Childhood stories of family, country and belonging. Accounts from well-known authors and high-profile identities sit alongside those from newly discovered writers of all ages. This groundbreaking collection will enlighten, inspire and educate about the lives of Aboriginal people in Australia today.
[First Nations author]

Sharing the story of Patrick Dodson's life and extraordinary family history, this is the biography of one man and one family, and a powerful narrative of an Australian life. From the moment of colonization in the Kimberleys to the era of native title, through missions and institutions, this Aboriginal family has survived an uncaring and intrusive state system--a background that shaped an outstanding life and a commitment to reconciliation.

This remarkable true story follows educator Chris Sarra from his humble beginnings to his triumphant achievements, including becoming Queensland's Australian of the Year. Attempting to better Indigenous education, Sarra transformed the Cherbourg State School into a national success story, but not without controversy along the way. This inspiring autobiography shows why Indigenous children no longer hope for a better education; they can expect it.
[First Nations author]

The authors show how Aboriginal design principles of sophisticated function, sustainability and storytelling, refined over many millennia, are now being applied to contemporary practices.
[First Nations author]

This book documents a range of Indigenous Cultural Centres across the globe and the processes that led to their development. It explores the possibilities for the social and political project of the Cultural Centre that architecture both inhibits and affords.

This book showcases a range of ‘out-of-school’ youth learning contexts in remote Australia, to analyse the factors that enable positive learning and to provide some working principles for facilitating and supporting effective youth learning in the remote Indigenous context.

Education is an essential pathway to bridging the divide in educational attainment between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. In Australian policy contexts, Indigenous Education has been informed by a many reviews, reports and extensive projects aimed at improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Central to each has been the investigation of the inequity of access to educational resources, the legacy of historical policies of exclusion and lack of culturally responsive pedagogical practices that impact Indigenous student achievement at school.

Provides strategies, lessons, and hands-on activities that support both Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners in the secondary classroom. This book is for all teachers of grades 9-12 who are looking for ways to infuse Indigenous perspectives into their courses. Using appropriate themes for curricular connections, the author presents a culturally relevant and holistic approach that helps to build bridges between cultures and fosters self-esteem in all students.
[First Nations author]

Interest in Aboriginal education in Australia has increased through federal government policy commitments arising out of the 2007 national apology and the 'Closing the Gap' commitment by state and federal governments. Experts in various fields provide well-researched and strongly-argued chapters on family, language, health, attendance, classroom management, and the criminal justice system, presenting programs and approaches that work.

​This book describes research undertaken by leading Australian researcher in Indigenous communities. While the chapters are Australian in their focus, the issues that are discussed are similar to those in other countries where there are indigenous people. In most cases, in Australia and internationally, Indigenous learners are not succeeding in school, thus making the transition into work and adulthood quite tenuous in terms of mainstream measures.

This volume traces the complex reasons behind the disturbing discrepancy between the health and well-being of children in mainstream Australia and those in remote Indigenous communities. Invaluably informed by close working knowledge of Aboriginal communities, the book addresses growth faltering as a crisis of Aboriginal parenting and a continued problem for the Australian nation. With insights of specialists from a range of disciplines, this book provides a thoughtful and innovative framework for considering Indigenous health.

Offers a comprehensive framework for creating a culturally safe environment and enhancing health outcomes for Indigenous Australians. Through case studies, discussions, reflections and critiques of health issues in Australia today, the book offers a starting point for learning about cultural safety in an Indigenous health context. Key reading for anyone taking courses on Indigenous health modules in nursing or health related courses at undergraduate or postgraduate level.

Lorraine Muller outlines a theory for professional practice with Indigenous clients in the human services, based on traditional Indigenous knowledge and spirituality.

Since 2006, the Closing the Gap campaign has been pursued in collaboration between government and health, welfare and rights agencies to close the health and life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation. This book evaluates the uneven progress being made and discusses how Indigenous outcomes can be improved across a range of key social and economic determinants of health and wellbeing. Also includes: worksheets and activities, fast facts, glossary, web links, index.

Dark Emu argues for a reconsideration of the 'hunter-gatherer' tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians and attempts to rebut the colonial myths that have worked to justify dispossession.
[First Nations author]

This book presents journeys of sixteen Indigenous Australian athletes from their first touch of a 'footy' to the highest levels of Australian football and rugby league. The book traces the development of Indigenous sporting expertise as a lifelong process of learning situated in local culture and shaped by the challenges of transitioning into professional sport. Individually, the life stories told by the participants provide fascinating insights into experience, culture and learning.

This book provides an overview of indigenous relationships to plants in Aboriginal Australia. It spans the gap between botany and indigenous studies, treating the study of plants as a window upon which to delve into Aboriginal culture.

Explodes the myth that pre-settlement Australia was an untamed wilderness revealing the complex, country-wide systems of land management used by Aboriginal people.

A powerful account on how the revival of cultural burning practices, and improved 'reading' of country, could help to restore our land. Developed over many generations, this knowledge shows clearly that Australia actually needs fire. Moreover, fire is an important part of a wholistic approach to the environment, and when burning is done in a carefully considered manner, this ensures proper land care and healing.
[First Nations author]

Explodes the myth that pre-settlement Australia was an untamed wilderness revealing the complex, country-wide systems of land management used by Aboriginal people.

Examines criminal sentencing courts' changing characterisations of Indigenous peoples' identity, culture and postcolonial status. The author suggests that Indigenous justice requires a two-way recognition process where Indigenous people and legal systems are afforded greater control in sentencing, dispute resolution and Indigenous healing.

Indigenous Australians are among the most incarcerated people on Earth. This book examines the latest research and statistics on Indigenous imprisonment, and reviews progress on addressing Aboriginal deaths in custody recommendations and reforming the detention of young Indigenous people.

Since the federal Government's apology to Indigenous Australians over past welfare policies of forced removal of children, debate has continued over how to move beyond symbolism with practical measures aimed at healing the traumatic effects of historic wrongs and ameliorating Indigenous disadvantage. This book explores the history of Reconciliation and the Stolen Generations, and includes personal stories of removal and reactions to the apology.

In recent years there have been a number of major initiatives, largely driven by Indigenous psychologists, to work towards effective partnership between psychologists and Indigenous Australians to help overcome Indigenous disadvantage and work towards social justice. This book contains edited proceedings of the inaugural Psychology and Indigenous Australians conference held in 2007, and illustrates the emergence of a new form of Australian psychology, that can respond effectively to the needs of Indigenous Australians.