• About
  • Toolkit topics
  • Resources
  • Case studies
  • Governance watch
  • Contact
  • Home
  • 01 Understanding governance
    • 1.0 Understanding governance
    • 1.1 The important parts of governance
    • 1.2 Indigenous governance
    • 1.3 Governance in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations
    • 1.4 Case studies
  • 02 Culture and governance
    • 2.0 Culture and governance
    • 2.1 Indigenous governance and culture
    • 2.2 Two-way governance
    • 2.3 Case studies
  • 03 Getting started
    • 3.0 Getting started on building your governance
    • 3.1 Assessing your governance
    • 3.2 Mapping your community for governance
    • 3.3 Case studies
  • 04 Leadership
    • 4.0 Leadership for governance
    • 4.1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership
    • 4.2 The challenges of leadership
    • 4.3 Evaluating your leadership
    • 4.4 Youth leadership and succession planning
    • 4.5 Building leadership capacity to govern
    • 4.6 Case studies
  • 05 Governing the organisation
    • 5.0 Governing the organisation
    • 5.1 Roles, responsibilities and rights of a governing body
    • 5.2 Accountability: what is it, to whom and how?
    • 5.3 Decision making by the governing body
    • 5.4 Governing finances and resources
    • 5.5 Communicating
    • 5.6 Future planning
    • 5.7 Building capacity and confidence for governing bodies
    • 5.8 Case studies
  • 06 Rules and policies
    • 6.0 Governance rules and policies
    • 6.1 What are governance rules?
    • 6.2 Governance rules and culture
    • 6.3 Running effective meetings
    • 6.4 Policies for organisations
    • 6.5 Case studies
  • 07 Management and staff
    • 7.0 Management and staff
    • 7.1 Managing the organisation
    • 7.2 The governing body and management
    • 7.3 Managing staff
    • 7.4 Staff development and training
    • 7.5 Case studies
  • 08 Disputes and complaints
    • 8.0 Dealing with disputes and complaints
    • 8.1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous approaches
    • 8.2 Core principles and skills for dispute and complaint resolution
    • 8.3 Disputes and complaints about governance
    • 8.4 Your members: dealing with disputes and complaints
    • 8.5 Organisations: dealing with internal disputes and complaints
    • 8.6 Practical guidelines and approaches
    • 8.7 Case studies
  • 09 Nation building and development
    • 9.0 Governance for nation rebuilding and development
    • 9.1 What is nation rebuilding?
    • 9.2 Governance for nation rebuilding
    • 9.3 Governance for sustained development
    • 9.4 Networked governance
    • 9.5 Kick-starting the process of nation rebuilding
    • 9.6 Case studies
  • Glossary
  • Useful links
  • Acknowledgements

1.2 Indigenous governance

 01 Understanding governance

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have always had their own governance. It is an ancient jurisdiction made up of a system of cultural geographies (‘country’), culture-based laws, traditions, rules, values, processes and structures that has been effective for tens of thousands of years, and which nations, clans and families continue to adapt and use to collectively organise themselves to achieve the things that are important to them.

As Mick Gooda, the Indigenous Social Justice Commissioner (Social Justice report 2012, p.90) said:

“While Indigenous peoples have governed ourselves since time immemorial in accordance with our traditional laws and customs, when we speak of Indigenous governance we are not referring to the pre-colonial state. Rather, we are referring to contemporary Indigenous governance: the more recent melding of our traditional governance with the requirement to effectively respond to the wider governance environment.”

In many parts of Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance systems were disrupted and changed because of British colonisation. Often people were forcibly relocated to settlements that were run according to western governance structures, rules and values.

Today, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have many forms of governance based on their diverse histories, environments and cultures.

Indigenous governance is not the same thing as organisational governance. While governance is a critical part of the operation and effectiveness of legally formalised and registered incorporated organisations, it can also be seen at work every day:

  • in the way people own and care for their country, arrange a ceremony, manage and share their resources, and pass on their knowledge
  • in networks of extended families who have a form of internal governance
  • in the way people arrange a community football match or an art festival, informally coordinate the activities of a night patrol and develop alliances across regions
  • in the voluntary work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women within their own communities, and as governing members on a multitude of informal local committees and advisory groups.

What makes it Indigenous governance is the role that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and philosophical systems, cultural values, traditions, rules and beliefs play in the governance of:

  • processes—how things are done
  • structures—the ways people organise themselves and relate to each other
  • institutions—the rules for how things should be done.

In other words, just like all other societies around the world, the practice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance cannot be separated from its traditions and culture.

Today, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are working to rebuild and strengthen their contemporary governance arrangements. The challenge in doing this is to ensure that governance solutions continue to reflect cultural norms, values and traditions, while remaining practically effective.

Developing a shared vision within your nation or group about your approach to these issues will be critical right from the beginning. You will find more information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures of governance in Topic 2.

What community-controlled governance means at IUIH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H_FVcX7h0U&feature=player_embedded

The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) was a Finalist in Category A of the 2014 Indigenous Governance Awards. Here CEO Adrian Carson and Director of Operations and Communications Jody Currie describe the 'vibe' of community-controlled governance at IUIH.

Snapshot: Similarities and differences between community and corporate governance

PDFView/download

Indigenous community governance happens outside as well as inside corporations and organisations. This table summarises some of the important similarities and differences between their governance.

1.2.1 What are Indigenous communities?

What an Indigenous community shares

A community might share many features.

“The concept of a ‘community’ is complex. Who and what makes a community and what it does, generally depend upon those who live in it and, most importantly, its history. The Walgett Shire communities of north-west New South Wales are remarkable on both accounts. They have a unique multicultural history which is rarely understood by people living outside of regional Australia and who often believe that multiculturalism only exists in urban Australia. United by a common bond of attachment they feel towards each other and towards their community. They express their sense of belonging in many different ways.”

(Frances Peters-Little, presentation to ‘History Through a Lens, Unsettling Histories: Visual Modes of Historical Practice’ forum, 30 June–1 July 2005, Canberra)

Definition: A community is a network of people and organisations linked together by webs of personal relationships, cultural identities, political connections, traditions and rules, shared histories, social and economic conditions and/or common understandings and interests.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are extremely diverse in their cultures, histories, locations, size and local conditions. They are also subject to different national, state and territory government laws.

These different kinds of communities can include:

  • discrete geographic communities—such as remote settlements, towns, outstations, pastoral stations—there are over 1,300 located in urban, rural and remote locations in Australia. The residents of these places may be a mix of different families, clans, language and ceremonial groups, or they may come from the same cultural group (e.g. an outstation community or island).
  • dispersed communities of identity—sometimes the members of nations, clans or tribes are spread across several different locations in a region. But they share a cultural identity and so consider themselves to be a single community of identity.
  • a community of interest—people who do not necessarily share a common cultural identity, but who come together voluntarily because they have the same goals or interests (such as a sporting or artistic community, a political lobby group or alliance) can be said to form a community of interest.

This means that often there are different Indigenous ‘communities’ living within a single place. But everywhere, the shared characteristic of all these different kinds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities is their extensive networks and overlapping relationships, strong extended family ties, multiple ties to ‘country’ and valued cultural identities.

1.2.2 Diverse communities, diverse community governance

The diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities has given rise to diverse governance arrangements. For example:

  • families and clans within a single settlement may each have their own traditional leaders and governance networks
  • some groups may be traditional landowners with related governance rights to the land on which a settlement has been established; others are not
  • some groups that have been historically resettled together may be opposed to each other
  • some local leaders may represent a whole geographic community, or several linked communities of identity
  • some ‘community’ organisations may look after the rights and interests of all the residents; others may focus on a particular group in a community or region.

Your governance culture and environment

This diagram shows the layers of your governance environment.

So the governance of communities is characterised by complex layers of social relationships, extended families, networks of leaders (male and female), organisational relationships and political networks.

Given this historical and cultural complexity, it is not surprising that conflict or confusion often arises about who has the authority to make particular decisions, and who has the right to represent or ‘talk for’ a particular group of people.

As your community changes over time, your governance arrangements may also need to adapt and change. A one-size-fits-all approach will not work.

Communities operate within a wider ‘governance environment’ of surrounding communities, nations, agencies, organisations, businesses, governments, networks, laws, leaders, politicians and resources. To govern effectively you need to know this wider environment and understand how you can strategically operate within it.

Today, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups are working to rebuild their governance and are crafting innovative solutions to address their varied community conditions and cultural traditions.

How MG Corporation’s governance works

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zyv1U8OgEw&feature=player_embedded

In this video Helen Gerrard, MG Director explains the governance structure of the MG Corporation. She talks about how it has changed over time and represents different groups through the Dawang Council.

Snapshot: Different models of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance

PDFView/download

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander models of nation, community and regional governance are often based on sophisticated networks. These can be made up of interconnected layers of extended families, clans and leaders, and their land-ownership rights and interests. These cultural networks form the foundations for a wide variety of different governing structures, depending on what suits the particular nation, community or group. Sometimes these structures are legally incorporated; sometimes they remain informal and flexible.

1.2.3 Building on community strengths

The Marruk Project on community governance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6yxLRyqHX8&feature=player_embedded

The Marruk Project was awarded First Place in Category B of the 2014 Indigenous Governance Awards. Here Project Manager Angela Frost describes Marruk’s governance structure and the sense of community ownership.

What can we do? Strengthening community governance

PDFView/download

This resource outlines some important questions to think about before you go about strengthening your community governance.

To get governance right for your group, make sure you consult and inform the right people in a community, and that the right people make the decisions about particular issues. Different, and often competing, interests in a community need to be recognised and managed.

It pays to look back at your community and its governance history to better understand how you got to where you are now.

It also pays to look at the things you value about your governance in the past, and what you want to keep, protect and strengthen.

Too often external governments and stakeholders focus on a ‘deficit’ view of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and governance.

It’s important to understand the governance challenges and gaps in your community; however, focusing entirely on problems only conveys negative images, and residents can come to depend on ‘outside’ help to ‘fix’ their problems.

A ‘community development’ approach to rebuilding governance starts with what is present in the community, not what is problematic or absent. It’s a positive, strengths-based strategy.

To get started on this approach, identify your nation or community’s assets and strengths.

Tips: Identiying your community assets and strengths?

When you are looking to identify your nation, community or organisation’s assets and strengthes, it can help to think about:

Individuals Men, women, elders, youth, leaders—their talents, strengths, experience and skills
Informal associations Ceremonial networks, extended families, artists’ collectives, land-care groups, special interest groups, widows’ camps and committees
Informal associations for youth School groups, youth groups and sporting clubs
Organisations Schools, local businesses, churches, health facilities, libraries, childcare and women’s centres, councils and training centres
Physical resources Land, bodies of water, parks, buildings, historical landmarks, transport and infrastructure
Cultural resources People’s knowledge and experience, country, cultural sites and stories, bush skills, language and kinships, laws and customs
Program resources Program funding and services

Where do your strengths lie amongst this list?

‘Mapping’ or drawing the assets of your community is one of the first steps towards harnessing the strengths and support of people and organisations, so that work can begin on rebuilding or changing your particular community’s governance arrangements.

What can we do? Mapping community assets for governance

PDFView/download

You can use this resource to map out the strengths in your community which you can use to build your governance.

Governing well needs the support of your whole community to work properly. Once you do your mapping, you’ll be better able to keep all your community members involved and informed, and create shared solutions that they support.

< Previous Next >

You can view this online or download the whole Topic + Resources as a PDF

Download Toolkit

Case Studies

NPY Women’s Council – strong culture, strong women, strong communities

  NPY Women’s Council (NPYWC) was set up in 1980 and incorporated in 1994.  The organisation was founded in response to the concerns of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women throughout the APY lands.   The women were concerned about the …

Read more...

Murdi Paaki Regional Assembly

Self-determination and community control The Murdi Paaki Regional Assembly (MPRA) is comprised of the Chairs or representatives of 16 Aboriginal Community Working Parties (CWP’s) across the Murdi Paaki Region of NSW. MPRA see self-determination as the key success to their …

Read more...

NPY Women’s Council: Building your cultural guiding principles into your rulebook

The NPY Women’s Council became incorporated under new legislation in 2008. The council undertook a significant period of consultation with its members—spread across a large geographic region—in the lead-up to lodging its new rulebook (formally known as the constitution) with …

Read more...

News

ORIC Top 500 Report 2014-15

The Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) released the 2014-2015 top 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations report in December 2015. This is ORIC’s seventh report on the top 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations. It collates and …

Read more...

Social Justice Commissioner launches 2014 Social Justice and Native Title Report

Mr Mick Gooda is the current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. The Commissioner has a unique role at the Australian Human Rights Commission, responsible for advocating for the recognition of the rights of Indigenous Australians. As part …

Read more...

Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2014 Report

The Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report: Key Indicators 2014 (OID Report) was released by the Productivity Commission in November 2014. The OID Report measures the wellbeing of Australia’s Indigenous peoples. The report provides information about outcomes across a range of strategic …

Read more...

The Australian Indigenous Governance Institute

The Australian Indigenous Governance Institute is a unique Indigenous led national centre of governance knowledge and excellence. We know that practically effective and culturally legitimate governance is the staple building block for delivering real change.

We assist Indigenous Australians in their diverse efforts to determine and strengthen their own sustainable systems of self-governance by identifying world-class governance practice, informing effective policy, providing accessible research, disseminating stories that celebrate outstanding success and solutions, and delivering professional education and training opportunities.

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Copyright