 The Native Title Research Unit
Overview
The Native Title Research Unit (NTRU) provides high quality independent research and policy advice in order to promote the recognition and protection of the native title of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. We facilitate access to the Institute's records, materials and collections and publish the results of our research both as a source of public information and academic publication.
The NTRU was established through a collaboration between the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Commission and and AIATSIS in 1993 in response to the High Court decision in Mabo
v Queensland (No.2) (1992), which recognised Indigenous peoples' rights to land under the legal concept of native title.
The NTRU's activities are currently supported through a funding agreement with
the
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA).
The NTRU, located within the wider AIATSIS Research program, aims
to provide ongoing monitoring of outcomes and developments in native title;
independent assessment of the impact of policy and legal developments;
longitudinal research and case study research designed to feed into policy
development; ethical community based and responsible research practice; theoretical background for policy development; recommendations for policy development; and policy advocacy designed to influence thinking and practice.
The quality, independence and ethics of the research of the Native Title Research Unit is subject to the oversight of the Native Title Research Advisory Committee, the AIATSIS statutory Research Advisory Committee and the AIATSIS Council.
The NTRU works under the Director of the NTRU, who is also a research fellow. There are two other research fellows,
a project officer, research assistants, communications officer and
administrative assistant.
The NTRU also has a research and access officer who facilitates access
to AIATSIS's library and audiovisual archives to help people researching
native title. The NTRU works on a number of major research projects, such as
Prescribed
Bodies Corporate,
Taxation Trusts and the Distribution of Benefits and
Connection Requirements in collaboration with Indigenous individuals or organisations, particularly Native Title Representative Bodies (NTRBs)
and other native title stakeholders.
We also host a number of visitors, including International Indigenous Visiting Fellows
(IIVF). The inaugural IIVF was Professor John Borrows, Professor and Law Foundation Chair of Aboriginal Justice and Governance at the University if Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
The NTRU organises the annual native title conference in conjunction with a local NTRB. The NTRU holds a number of workshops each year on issues relating to
native title, and from time to time, staff of the NTRU convene and or
participate in the AIATSIS
Seminar Series. See Events for more information.
The NTRU aims to make information about native title as accessible as possible. We do this through
our website, and via a number of publications, including:
What's New,
Native
Title in the News, the
Native Title Newsletter,
the Issues Paper Series,
Discussion Papers, Research Monographs and
Research
Reports. The NTRU also produces a number of research resources including the
Native
Title Resource Guide; a
Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate Overview and
Toolkits;
Indigenous Land
Use Agreement,
Native
Title Determination and
Registered
Native Title Bodies Corporate Summary documents; and
research
resource pages providing information about native title case law and issues. These, and other resources, are available in hardcopy or on this website,
see the Research,
Publications and
Major Projects
sections of this website.
In 2008 the
Native Title Research Unit turns 15! (pdf
format).
Research Activities
The NTRU's research activities are outlined in an annual activity plan which
details the research projects as well as information, resources, events and
services of the Unit. The NTRU is currently in the final year of a three year
funding cycle (2006-2009).
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