Using the National Research Grants System to progress Indigenous organisations and Indigenous agendas

The Telling it like it is study is an ARC Linkage Project undertaken in a partnership between Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation (LNAC) and the University of Tasmania (UTAS). It asks a sample of Darwin’s Aboriginal population, matched to Census data of the socio-demographic profile of Darwin’s Indigenous residents, for their views on race and race relations. The aim is to reverse the lens away from how white people see Indigenous people and instead focus on what Indigenous people have to say about the relationship with white people and what they think of White Australia’s values, priorities and lifestyles.

The project was made possible through the existence of a research unit within LNAC, with the topic developed as a result of earlier research by that unit on the damage caused by white attitudes to Aboriginal people in Darwin. The collaboration between LNAC and UTAS has produced nationally and internationally significant findings that are driven by Aboriginal people and priorities as well as training and career opportunities for Indigenous researchers. The presentation considers the risks and benefits of research for Indigenous organisations including financial, practical, symbolic and reputational aspects.