Strategic priority 4

The Return of Cultural Heritage Project was a major exercise in partnership and relationship-building after the Australian Government provided $2 million over two years in the 2018–2019 Budget to allow AIATSIS to pursue the return of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage materials held overseas to their custodians in Australia. Good relationships were established with a range of institutions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, as outlined below.

The complementary missions of AIATSIS and the Manchester Museum, University of Manchester, resulted in the negotiation of a formal MoU to support current and future collaboration. The MoU was executed at the official handover ceremony of Nyamal and Gangalidda material on 22 November 2019 at Australia House in London.

This complements a range of existing MoUs with other cultural and collecting institutions including Te Papa and the Smithsonian—see Appendix B for a list of AIATSIS’ current strategic partnerships.

We received $63,000 from the Council on Australia Latin America Relations in 2018–2019 to support a two-way learning exchange on Indigenous and cultural policy with Peru, Colombia and Mexico. Visits were designed in consultation with the relevant embassies in Australia and the Australian embassies overseas. Delegates exchanged knowledge with government agencies and Indigenous organisations and gave various seminars and conference presentations and media interviews.

Our ongoing research program includes a wide range of partnerships with other research organisations and institutions and other stakeholders—especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community research organisations and researchers. Some significant new partnerships and developments are discussed here, and Appendix C lists our current research projects and indicates the partners for each project.

A partnership with the Research Network for Linguistic Diversity (now known as Living Languages) underpinned delivery of the Paper and Talk: The Australian Breath of Life Institute pilot project. Community researchers from five language groups, each with few or no speakers, came together for a two-week skills development workshop at AIATSIS in September 2019.

The NTRU has continued its strong research partnership with the National Native Title Council, the peak body for Australia’s native title organisations, including NTRBs, native title service providers and PBCs. The partnership includes shared delivery of research and engagement activities. AIATSIS is currently finalising an MoU with the National Native Title Council to collaborate on research and outreach activities and on information and resources. This will be signed in July 2020.

The Return of Native Title Materials project and the Youth Engagement in Native Title projects have also involved deep collaboration with research, community and industry partners including La Trobe University, Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation, Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, Bigambul Native Title Aboriginal Corporation and the National Native Title Council.

We work in partnership with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) and the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) on a range of projects and programs, such as the development and rollout of Core Cultural Competency training. We also provide ethics approval and advice to PM&C and NIAA. Through these partnerships, and direct relationships where appropriate on a specific issue or project, we work to support good practice across the Australian Government through engagement, inclusion and co-design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Family History Unit

Our Family History Unit is actively involved with the work of the sector to ensure the best outcomes for members of the Stolen Generations and their families. The unit works closely with Link-Up organisations and the Link-Up leadership group to support their clients, including through the provision of research support and the delivery of the Certificate IV in Stolen Generations Family Research and Case Management.

In October 2019 we received reaccreditation from the Australian Skills Quality Authority for the Certificate IV in Stolen Generations Family Research and Case Management (10814NAT). The course was developed by AIATSIS to provide Link-Up caseworkers, counsellors and Bringing Them Home workers with a qualification that covers social and emotional wellbeing, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family history research and case management skills. It is supported by Stolen Generations organisations nationally.

The Family History Unit’s MoUs with Canberra-based record-keeping agencies (including the National Archives of Australia, Australian War Memorial and Noel Butlin Archives Centre at ANU) were renewed for a further three years. The MoUs facilitate access to records for research on behalf of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people separated from their families. The national partnership agreements with Link-Up groups around Australia were also renewed, to build and strengthen relationships between the unit and Link-Ups through training, research assistance, consultation and collaboration.

Ngunnawal Winanggaay Language Working Group

We continued to work with the Ngunnawal Winanggaay Language Working Group this year. A ‘Welcome to Country’ was installed at Canberra International Airport’s international arrivals area and launched in July 2019, the outcome of a partnership between the working group, AIATSIS and the airport. Linguist Dr Louise Baird was commissioned by AIATSIS to write up a sketch grammar of Ngunnawal, based on historical materials, and met regularly with the group to assist with their language revival work.

The AIATSIS Foundation was established in 2015 to support our work by developing the AIATSIS collection, digitising and preserving material, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and visiting fellows, and conducting special projects such as the development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language dictionaries and the recording of song traditions.

AIATSIS and the Foundation completed key funding strategy deliverables during 2019–2020, including development of a fundraising prospectus and delivery of a campaign to support the development of a national school visit program. Currently 160,000 students visit Canberra every year and are unable to see a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural and learning package.

The AIATSIS Foundation also progressed the development of social impact measurement plans to determine:

• the impact and significance of the AIATSIS collection
• the potential impact and benefits of a school visit program
• the potential impact and benefits of a new building and exhibition space for AIATSIS.

These measurement plans will be used to support and target our work and attract new revenue streams and partnership opportunities.

We value the expertise and experience of our members, and sought their input during consultation on the 2019 revision of our GERAIS, now known as the AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research. At least 10 members provided significant feedback and input on the draft Code.

Members also participated in the AIATSIS National Indigenous Research Conference 2019 in Brisbane in July. Two events for members planned for 2020 were postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19.

Members were kept up to date on AIATSIS projects and activity through a monthly newsletter.

The Preserve, Strengthen and Renew project is about ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are involved in the design of research that is related to them, are given the findings and outcomes in relevant and useful forms, and are able to apply and benefit from that research. The Preserve Strengthen and Renew South Coast (NSW) case study involves the digital return of collections material, revision of access protocols for existing material, recording of new cultural material, and impact evaluation. The case study was designed to allow us to measure the project’s impact, improve its processes and continue to develop best practice.

Progress has been limited in 2019–2020, with fieldwork and community engagement restricted by the damaging bushfires in the region, shortly followed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, work to update and refine the community resource ‘South Coast Voices’ has continued. ‘South Coast Voices’ was a CD-ROM compilation of material from collections relevant to the NSW south coast which was prepared almost 20 years ago but was not ultimately returned to the community. A new version will be published and made available to the community later in 2020.

A selection of our collection material, including print and photographic content, was sent to the Mogo Local Aboriginal Land Council in response to bushfires that affected both the area and the physical home of the land council.

Performance criterion: AIATSIS Membership

Performance measure: Number and engagement of AIATSIS members

Targets:

• Increase by 10 new members each year
• 3 members’ events annually

Outcome: The target of 10 new members was exceeded. The target of 3 member’s events was not achieved.

Performance criterion: Research collaborations

Performance measure: Type, number and level of interactions in research collaborations

Target: Increase from 2018–2019 baseline 

Outcome: Change from the baseline cannot be measured until next year—this is a new measure designed to capture research collaborations that are not underpinned by research agreements.

*Includes multi-party projects, co-convened or co-authored publications and joint presentations.

Performance criterion: Research collaborations

Performance measure: Number and type of networks

Target: Increase from 2018–2019 baseline

Outcome: Change from the baseline cannot be measured until next year - this is a new measure designed to capture networks that share information and good practice.

*Formal or informal coordination with an organisation for the purposes of information-sharing or community of practice.

Performance criterion: Interaction with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

Performance measure: Interactions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by type

Target: Increase from 2018–2019 baseline

Outcome: Change from the baseline cannot be measured until next year—this is a new measure designed to capture interaction with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Performance criterion: Partnerships in place

Performance measure: Number of partnerships by type

Target: Increase from 2018–2019 baseline

**Project partnerships entail a service/collaboration agreement with specific services/value.
^Strategic partnerships are those established with broad goals of mutual benefit by MoU or other non-legally-binding arrangement.