Native Title Research Unit

Dr Jessica Weir is a Research Fellow in the Native Title Research Unit, Jessica is a human geographer whose research focuses on ecological and social issues in Australia, particularly water and ecological devastation, country, the conceptualisation of natural resource management, and the relationship between Indigenous representative structures and natural resource management institutions and planning. 

Jessica has a PhD from the Fenner School of Environment and Society at The Australian National University.  Her thesis ‘Murray River Country: an Ecological Dialogue with Traditional Owners’ was supported by a research agreement with the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN).  Jessica also has a Masters in Environmental Management and Development Studies, and has worked in the non-government sector with local communities on environment and livelihood issues in Bangladesh and Thailand. 

Jessica is a member of the Ecological Humanities, a group of people who foster research that traverses the great divides between the sciences and the humanities, including theories, research and methodologies on the artificial separation of nature/culture.  

Current Research Focus

Jessica’s research focus is the management of country, especially native title lands.  As part of the NTRU project on Prescribed Bodies Corporate (PBC), Jessica is undertaking case study research with native title holders who are required to establish a PBC to hold and manage their native title lands.  This project examines the post-determination landscape, specifically the current operating context of PBCs, the skills and aspirations of PBC members, and the challenges they face in meeting their responsibilities and expectations. 

Jessica's research within the NTRU project Native Title and Ecology is focused on broadening disciplinary engagement with native title, and to extend our understandings of native title within the context of ecological relationships, ecological change, and ecological destruction.

Jessica has also worked with the Gunditjmara people on the “Gunditjmara Land Justice Story”, which has been published as a Research Monograph and contains a DVD-Rom.

Jessica is also Managing Editor of NTRU Publications. 

Recent Selected Publications

2009

• Weir, J and S Muller. Forthcoming. Caring for Country is not Natural Resource Management.

• Weir, J. 2009. Murray River Country, Aboriginal Studies Press.

• Strelein, L. and J Weir. 2009  ‘Conservation and Human Rights in the Context of Native Title in Australia’, book chapter in Exploring Issues and Opportunities in Rights Based Approaches to Conservation, CIFOR, IUCN and CEESP, Bogor, Indonesia.

• Weir, J.K. 2009 'The Gunditjmara Land Justice Story', Research Monograph 1/2009, Native Title Research Unit, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra. 

• Weir, J. 2009 'Our understandings of water and how they translate into our decision making’, workshop paper, ACT Planning and Land Authority workshop Planning for our Future – Securing Canberra’s Water, pp.1-7.

2008

• Weir, J. 2008 'Connectivity', Australian Humanities Review, 45, pp.153-164

• Weir, J 2008,  Are secure resource rights the key for Indigenous groups to benefit from Resource development?, RMAP Argument, Resource Management in Asia-Pacific Program, The Australian National University.

2007

• Weir J and S Ross 2007 “Beyond Native Title: Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations”, in F Morphy and B R Smith (eds), The Social Effects of Native Title: Recognition, Translation, Coexistence, CAEPR Research Monograph No. 27, ANU E-Press.

• Weir J. 2007 ‘Native title and Governance: the emerging corporate sector prescribed for native title holders’, Land, Rights, Laws: Issues of Native Title, 3(9):1-16. Native Title Research Unit, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

• Weir J. 2007 “The traditional owner experience along the Murray River”,  in E Potter, S Mackenzie, A Mackinnon, and J Mackay (eds), Fresh Water: New Perspectives on Water in Australia, Melbourne University Press.

2006

• Morgan M, Strelein L and J Weir. 2006 "Authority, knowledge and values: Indigenous Nations engagement in the management of natural resources in the Murray-Darling Basin", in M Langton, O Mazel, L Palmer, K Shain and M Tehan (eds) Settling with Indigenous peoples, The Federation Press, Sydney.

• Weir, J. 2006 "Cultural flows in the Murray Lower Darling Rivers", in S Jackson (ed) Recognising and protecting Indigenous values in water resource management: A report from a workshop held at CSIRO in Darwin, NT, 5-6 April 2006.

• Weir, J. 2006 "Making the connection between water and sustaining Indigenous cultural life", People, Practice and Policy, April 2006.

2004

• Morgan M, Strelein L and J Weir. 2004. Indigenous Rights to Water in the Murray Darling Basin: In support of the Indigenous final report to the Living Murray Initiative, Research Discussion Paper # 14, Native Title Research Unit, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra.

• Morgan M, Strelein L and J Weir. 2004. Indigenous Nations of the Murray Darling Basin, Indigenous Law Bulletin, Vol 5, no 29, pp 17-20.

2001

• Weir, J. 2001 Native Title Business: A national travelling exhibition, Text for display, catalogue and educational material on native title and Indigenous art, curated by Joan Winter and the Gurang Land Council.

• Weir J 2001 ACT Namadgi National Park Agreement, Native Title Newsletter, Issue 3/2001, p.13-14.

• Strelein L, Dodson M and J Weir. 2001. Understanding Non-discrimination: Native Title Law and Policy in a Human Rights Context, Balayi: Culture, Law and Colonialism, Vol 3, pp 113-48.

2000

• Weir J 2000 Aboriginal Land Ownership and Joint Management of National Parks in NSW, Indigenous Law Bulletin, October, vol 5(3), pp.20-2.