Applying AIATSIS' Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies to work in native title

While the AIATSIS Principles of ethical research were originally designed to protect Indigenous people's rights within research projects, in my recent work it has become clear that these principles need to be kept in mind when negotiating native title rights with other stakeholders, who wish to access Indigenous People's land for other purposes, such as mining. 

While clearances are usually labelled "surveys", it is in essence research of a geographical nature and should require the same consent, trust, relationship building, informed consent and reciprocal benefits.

Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have these rights and respecting our past is key to working with these stakeholders and pivotal to the continual healing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this country. It also provides one clear way that Australian society can build a future based on respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The workshop will present two case studies of the ways two different mining companies have attempted to work with our PBC in the very recent past. It will then illustrate how the ethical principles could be applied. Participants will then be given the opportunity to brainstorm how they could be applied to their organisation's work.