AustLit

A course on managing and recording Indigenous knowledge should provide a comprehensive understanding of traditional knowledge systems related to the environment, technology and science, language and communication, survival skills, artefacts and weapons, economics, kinship and social organisation. Essentially the course will present an overview of elements of traditional Indigenous knowledge, how it is used and how it has survived change and the processes we need to follow to manage it, and to record it. The course will endeavour to explain the importance of knowledge to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and societies to the learner. It will illustrate the need to record and manage the knowledge of different groups to document such knowledge. In this course, students should gain knowledge and understanding of: The structure and influence of knowledge, communication and language globally, and in Indigenous and non-indigenous societies, and how knowledge can be utilised and managed; The importance of oral history and traditions and their relationship to nature, the customs and behaviours of Australian Indigenous societies and cultures; Indigenous intellectual property rights and copyright, Government legislation and policy formulation in relation to Australia Indigenous societies and cultures; Cultural Heritage and Native Title Legislation - implications for Indigenous Australian peoples; Research ethics in Indigenous contexts.