Stolen Generations, Truth-telling and Treaty
What you will learn
What you will learn
Designed and delivered by leading experts in First Nations history at the University of Melbourne, Stolen Generations, Truth-Telling and Treaty examines the impact of past Indigenous child-removal policies on communities today.
Engage with the historical foundations of these policies, their enduring consequences, and examine ways treaty may respond to these histories and reshape relationships between First Nations and the community services sector.
Ideal for those who may be involved in treaty negotiations or related work, including professionals in the public, private and non-profit sectors, as well as First Nations organisations, explore the role of truth-telling in treaty and gain the skills needed to engage meaningfully in conversations and activities supporting these processes.
Gain a deeper understanding of the history of child-removal policies in Australia
Develop your awareness of the history, experience, and ongoing impact of Indigenous child-removal policies and practices in Australia, including the intergenerational trauma they have produced and their influence on Indigenous–settler relations over time.
Investigate truth-telling's crucial role in emerging treaty negotiations
Examine the key concepts underpinning truth-telling in contemporary treaty initiatives, exploring both the promises and challenges, and what they may offer to emerging treaty processes in Victoria and other jurisdictions.
Understand treaty's potential to drive meaningful change
Use curated readings and case studies to critically explore the capacity of treaty to address historical injustices, advance truth-telling and self-determination, and reshape relationships between First Nations peoples, the state, and service institutions.
Develop a short narrative exploring the experiences and impacts of child removal
Create a first-person narrative reflection that explores the impacts of child removal on First Nations communities and non-Indigenous families, encouraging you to reflect on the question: What would you do if this happened to you?
Who you will learn from
Matt Campbell is a lecturer in treaty. His primary research interest is the political and epistemic aspects embedded within work where Indigenous and non-Indigenous people undertake actio
Matthew Campbell
Lecturer in Treaty, School of Culture and Communication
Matthew Campbell has a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (RMIT), a Master of Applied Anthropology (ANU), and has recently completed his PhD at Charles Darwin University. His thesis draws on two decades of work in Northern Australia exploring the role that inquiry plays in situations where Indigenous and non- Indigenous people, working together, become aware that the goals or ends of that work are not necessarily shared. His primary research interest is in exploring the political and epistemic a
More from this series
Take multiple courses to deepen your knowledge or stack towards a full degree.
The Reshaping Australia’s First People-state relation series
This series covers the critical knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to develop meaningful relationships between First Nations and governments or organisations, with the goal of progressing and transforming treaty negotiations.
Explore more from the Reshaping Australia’s First People-state relation series:
- Treaties and Other Agreements (Micro-credential)
- Indigenous and Other Sovereignties (Micro-credential)
- Lawful Relations with Indigenous Peoples (Micro-credential)
- Recognition, Reconciliation, Refusal (Micro-credential)
- Nationhood and Self-determination (Micro-credential)
Course details
This micro-credential is suitable for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of truth-telling and treaty processes, but it will be of particular value to public servants and relevant personnel from government (local, state/territory, federal), non-government and private organisations, as well as First Nations peoples.
The course content and learning outcomes are aligned with Level 8 of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).
Learners interested in this course should meet one of the following criteria:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree
OR
- Have a minimum of three years’ relevant professional or work experience (paid or voluntary) in public service, government (local, state/territory, federal), non-government or private sectors related to Indigenous politics and policy, or roles such as community and stakeholder management, or communications and public relations;
OR
- Be an Indigenous person interested, or engaged, in the treaty process.
This course covers the critical knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to work at the interface between government and First Nations and self-determining Indigenous organisations.
Taught by leading experts at the Faculty of Arts, this course supports public servants, cross-sector professionals and First Nations engaged in or interested in treaty processes, who are seeking a stronger understanding of self-determination and treaty.
By the end of this course, you’ll have developed a deeper understanding of the history of child-removal policies in Australia and gained the skills to critically analyse truth-telling in both contemporary and historical contexts.
You’ll be able to:
- Personally reflect on your understanding of the experience and impact of Indigenous child removal policies and practices in Australia
- Critically analyse the place of truth-telling in contemporary treaty processes and evaluate its potential to impact interactions between First Nations and the community services sector.
This micro-credential runs over six weeks.
Your total time commitment will be approximately 42 hours, and includes:
- 6 hours guided learning
- 13 – 15 hours self-directed study, including online exercises and course readings
- 20 – 23 hours for assessment activities.
Assessment:
- The Impacts of child removal: A short first-person narrative reflection on your understanding of the impacts of child removal in Aboriginal communities and non-Indigenous families. What would you do if this happened to you? This personal reflection can be oral, pre-recorded, or written (40%)
- Truth, treaty and community services: Provide a critical analysis of truth-telling and its implications for the community services sector. Summarise truth-telling strengths and weaknesses in any Australian jurisdiction and identify how truth-telling might impact your work or your area of work (60%).
Nationhood and Self-Determination can be taken as a stand-alone micro-credential or you can complement it with any other course in the Self-Determination and Community Services series.
Self-Determination and Community series consists of:
- Treaties and other agreements
- Indigenous and other sovereignties
- Nationhood and Self-determination
- Stolen Generations, Truth-telling and Treaty
This course includes both guided and self-directed learning, to provide both flexibility and support.
Learning activities include pre-recorded videos, assessments and facilitated discussion through live webinars. You'll be provided with essential reading and media that bring key concepts to life. You'll also contribute to the online discussion board and receive valuable guidance and feedback from your course facilitator throughout the course.