58329 Environment, Indigeneity, Power

Students investigate key conflicts shaping contemporary global debates over water, food and climate change. They study international case studies about conflicts over different types of sovereignty and the right to exercise power over environments and people, drawing on the cultural, social and political economy analyses studied in previous subjects to evaluate these complex unresolved disputes. Such conflicts include those between Indigenous peoples and dominant national authorities, those between nation states and international bodies, both official and NGO, some of which claim to represent local interests. Each year one case study is based within Australia and at least two are international. One aspect of each case study is the roles Indigenous peoples have or are seeking in contemporary environmental management. This comparative review enables critical engagement with current uses of 'Indigenous knowledge' and with questions around environmental justice on a local, national and international scale.