Torres Strait Islanders are often talked about as Australia’s other Indigenous minority and many Australians know little about the region and its people. This Unit of Study will introduce students to Torres Strait societies through the themes of governance, migration and resource management. Students will learn about the diversity within Torres Strait communities and how Torres Strait Islander experiences of colonisation and responses to colonisation were and are as complex as those of Aboriginal people.

As of 2008 the Koori Centre will be offering most of the Indigenous Australian Studies major units of study in alternating years. The pre-requisite unit of study, KOCR2600 Introduction to Indigenous Australia, will be offered in both semesters but other units may only be offered in alternative years.

For full descriptions of the following Units of Study, please see the Indigenous Studies page

Even Years (2008, 2010, etc)

Semester One
KOCR2600 - Introduction to Indigenous Australia
KOCR2605 - Speaking Gamilaaray 1
KOCR2607 - Indigenous Creative Expression

Semester Two
KOCR2600 - Introduction to Indigenous Australia
KOCR2603 - Indigenous Health & Community
KOCR 2601 - Indigenous Land & Culture

Odd Years (2009, 2011, etc)

Semester One
KOCR2600 - Introduction to Indigenous Australia
KOCR2604 - Colours of Identity
KOCRXXXX - Speaking Gamilaaray 2
KOCR2607 - Indigenous Creative Expression

Semester Two
KOCR2600 - Introduction to Indigenous Australia
KOCR2602 - Issues in Indigenous Rights
KOCR2606 - Torres Strait Histories & Experiences

For more information please contact the Koori Centre on 9351 6113 or nsmith@koori.usyd.edu.au.

Replaces: KOCR 2100 Indigenous Australia – Core Unit of Study

This introductory unit of study will explore the historical, social and political contexts of the survival and growth of Australian Indigenous cultures and philosophies. These cultures have existed for at least sixty thousand years, yet have been interpreted and represented to the world from predominantly non-Indigenous points of view. This unit of study provides an introduction to Indigenous studies by critically examining “contact history” and resistance within a decolonising framework. (Prerequisite: 18 credit points) This unit of study is the prerequisite or co-requisite for most of the units of study listed below.

Replaces: KOCR 2102 Indigenous Australia – Land and Culture

This unit of study traces Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander relationships to country and place, and the continuities and dynamism of contemporary Indigenous Australian cultures. It will celebrate the fact that, despite the impact of colonisation, Indigenous Australian peoples have maintained unique identities and connections to land and sea. Through the themes of Indigenous Sydney, Connections to Place, and Cultural Continuity, this unit of study examines Indigenous belief systems, art, language, performance, and film. This unit of study will try to include excursions to relevant exhibitions around Sydney.

Replaces: KOCR 2111 Indigenous Australia – Health and Community

The continuing poor health status of Indigenous people is well documented. However, attempts at improving Aboriginal health have often been met with inappropriate policy and practice. The challenge in improving Aboriginal health lies partly in improving the knowledge of non-Indigenous Australians of the historical, cultural and contemporary issues which impact on health. This unit of study will provide opportunities for meaningful contact with Indigenous Australians as a foundation for building partnerships with Indigenous people to improve Aboriginal health.

Replaces: KOCR 2102 Indigenous Australia – Policy and Power

In the second half of the 20th Century Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples began to culturally and politically recover from the effects of colonisation and assimilation. Having had fundamental human rights severely limited by state and federal legislation, and having experienced years of disempowerment, dislocation and social disruption, Indigenous peoples have sought to reclaim independent social and political power. This unit of study explores national and international developments in this history, addressing issues of political and social representation, and examining contemporary analyses of Indigenous rights to self-determination in legal, political and community spheres.