M1 - Learner Manual

The collection of data on Aboriginal people has seen a history where information on and about Aboriginal peoples has been used to control their lives. For instance, the New South Wales Aborigines Protection Act 1909 (1909-1969) was based on the assumption Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were dying out.

It was: ‘An Act to provide for the protection and care of aborigines; to repeal the Supply of Liquors to Aborigines Prevention Act; to amend the Vagrancy Act, 1902, and the Police Offences (Amendment) Act, 1908; and for purposes consequent thereon or incidental thereto.’ 

It provided the Aborigines Protection Board, which had existed since 1881, with legal powers to 'provide for the protection and care of Aborigines.' It was the first piece of legislation that dealt specifically with Aboriginal people in New South Wales. The Act applied to all Aboriginal people, but contained particular provisions for children, including the right of the Protection Board to remove youths from Aboriginal Reserves and place them into service. It was repealed by the Aborigines Act 1969.

Legislation was developed when the mainstream society of the day started to complain about Aboriginal people moving into the fringes of towns and civic centres, as well as the increase in population of ‘half-castes’ (sic), and demanding that something be done to better control the lives and movements of Aboriginal peoples.

Today there are clear, ethical rules and guidelines for research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, drafted by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) in Canberra. The Institute’s Code of Ethics for research is informed by the recognition of, and respect for, the rights of Indigenous peoples as articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Tranby has developed guidelines for library and archive use based on these very guidelines.

The purpose of the Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research is to:

·       promote ethical and responsible practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research in Australia

·       to increase the contribution of Indigenous knowledge to Australian research

·       to ensure research has a positive impact for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

·       to continuously improve the quality and standards of research in this area

The principles in this Code are informed by the recognition of and respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples as articulated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. As such, it is recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have the right to be fully engaged in any processes, projects and activities that may impact them.

https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/code-ethics

Current data on Indigenous people such as from medical centres, legal services, community-based organisations and government services and agencies, is used to report on the well-being and service usage by Indigenous people. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has the largest collection of statistics on Indigenous people and reports can be located at the government website www.abs.gov.au

Data on Indigenous Australians is used by a variety of stakeholders and for a range of purposes. There is considerable overlap with, for example, governments and Indigenous community organisations both having an interest in knowing whether the outcomes of the Indigenous population in a particular community are improving or worsening; but there is often a tension between different users. Extending the example, the outcomes that an Indigenous community organisation might be interested in monitoring might be very different to those that are of interest to the government.