Indigenous Studies
Indigenous Studies at Nura Gili develops and challenges our understanding of the contemporary position of Indigenous peoples in Australia through centring Indigenous knowledge and methodologies. It brings Indigenous issues into the realm of academic inquiry in the Humanities, Social Sciences, Education and Law.
What is Indigenous Studies?
Indigenous Studies develops your understanding of Indigenous philosophies, knowledges, and sovereignties and appreciation of Indigenous diversity in perspectives and aspirations of self-determination at the local, national, and international context. It engages, contests and builds on earlier understandings of Indigenous societies developed through the disciplines of anthropology, archaeology and linguistics and as viewed through the Western imagination. Indigenous Studies emerged to disrupt the certainty of existing disciplinary knowledges and organises enquiry around the perspectives and interests of Indigenous peoples themselves.
While Indigenous people and topics come under study in a variety of disciplines, it is only in Indigenous Studies that academic inquiry is organised around the interests of Indigenous peoples. Specialising in Indigenous Studies will help students develop their ability to recognise the limits of disciplinary perspectives and work productively across them.
Why choose Indigenous Studies at UNSW?
Indigenous Studies at UNSW is an exciting and interdisciplinary space in which students are encouraged to explore, develop, and challenge prevailing perspectives. Students are supported to follow their own interests within given topic areas as they engage in a range of topics including popular culture, Indigenous politics, the history of Indigenous resistance to colonisation, racialisation, gender and sexuality, and environmental justice and cultural heritage. Students will learn from guest lecturers with specialised knowledge and will have the opportunity to participate in excursions to learn on Country from traditional knowledge holders.
During Indigenous Studies courses students learn skills that help them to address complex problems in professional practice, society and/ or scholarship. Students will work collaboratively with others and engage productively with diverse Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural perspectives. The classes are designed to suit diverse Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.
Careers in Indigenous studies
In addition to social justice careers in Indigenous communities and Indigenous education, there are opportunities in rapidly increasing intersections between Indigenous and non-Indigenous interests in academia, government, non-government, and business/economic sectors. The Indigenous Studies major and minor specialisations focus on developing your professional abilities in working collaboratively across cultural traditions to achieve positive outcomes.
Your ability to engage productively and ethically with Indigenous issues can stand out while job-hunting and benefit cultural development in whichever future career you choose. With broad knowledge and skills that enhance and adapt to lifelong career changes, you could join our graduates working in:
- Advocacy
- Arts and media
- Community development
- Cultural heritage
- Education
- Environmental management
- Healthcare
- Law
- Public policy
- Research
- Social work
- Urban planning
- Youth work
Our courses and programs
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Acknowledgement of Country
UNSW is located on the unceded territory of the Bidjigal/Bedegal (Kensington campus), Gadigal (City and Paddington campuses) and Ngunnawal peoples (Canberra) who are the Traditional Owners of the lands where each campus of UNSW is situated.
