A dynamic and productive research environment
We support challenging projects and researchers interested in making a significant contribution to strengthening the socio-economic fabric of Australia through positive change, understanding and knowledge.
The Department of Critical Indigenous Studies produces insights into the politics, cultures and social practices of Indigenous peoples.
We are committed to principles of equity, justice and diversity. Our research:
- prioritises Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being, drawing on non-Western epistemologies and ontologies
- supports the political empowerment, cultural strengths and overall wellbeing of Indigenous peoples, both in Australia and globally.
Areas of research
We have three key areas of research:
This theme explores the many and varied ways in which Indigenous people use technology and how it is entangled in their lives. We undertake research into:
- how technology can bring about Indigenous futures
- the opportunities in digital life, including for global community, connections, redistributed power
- the challenges of digital life, including surveillance, hate speech, violence.
This theme explores what futures for Indigenous people might look like, and how institutions, structures and systems can be transformed towards a just future. We research:
- what a sustainable future might look like for Indigenous people
- what future work, housing, home, social life, sovereignty and justice might look like for Indigenous people
- the future of global Indigenous networks.
This theme explores the complexity of Indigenous life and identity and uses this to understand future possibilities for Indigenous peoples. Our research involves:
- who and what is 'Indigenous' and how might this change in the future
- relations of care, reciprocity, obligation and responsibility
- Indigenous queer identities and cultures.
Research collaborations
Our collaborations help us to further research into Indigenous peoples and communities.
The Department of Critical Indigenous Studies facilitates the Centre for Global Indigenous Futures. The centre is a research network that focuses on facilitating and fostering research with and for Indigenous communities both nationally and internationally.
The Department of Critical Indigenous Studies also manages the Journal of Global Indigeneity, which is a unique and innovative digital journal focused on archiving filmed and/or recorded proceedings from symposia, conferences, and workshops on topics that impact the lives of Indigenous peoples and communities around the world. The journal also publishes critical essays related to the symposia themes in an effort to engage with academics and Indigenous communities and to encourage the relationship between theory and practice – especially as it relates to Critical Indigenous Studies.