World expert on Indigenous rights to address Native Title Conference

 

9 May 2012

 Canadian Aboriginal Dr Neil Sterritt, a world authority on native title, Aboriginal rights and Aboriginal governance, will deliver a keynote address at Australia’s largest Indigenous policy conference – the National Native Title Conference - in Townsville next month.

Dr Sterritt, a member of the Fireweed Clan of the Gitxcan Nation in northern British Columbia will deliver the prestigious Mabo Lecture, one of the keynote speeches at the annual conference.

The Mabo Lecture pays tribute to Eddie Koiki Mabo - a leading figure in the landmark High Court decision which overturned the legal fiction of terra nullius which characterised Australian law with regards to land and title.

Co-convened by the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) and the North Queensland Land Council (NQLC), the National Native Title Conference 2012 will be held in Townsville from 4-6 June. The conference coincides with major celebrations commemorating the 20th anniversary recognising the Mabo High Court decision on native title.

AIATSIS Principal, Mr Russell Taylor, said that Dr Sterritt’s attendance is significant coup for the conference and will greatly add to the already diverse range of discussions and presentations on the three-day program.

 “Dr Sterritt is renowned world- wide for his work to advance the rights of Canada’s Aboriginal population and is author of the First Nations Governance Handbook in 2003.”

“His achievements are considerable, in particular his role in overseeing the precedent setting, landmark Delgamuukw Aboriginal rights and title case in which he was on the stand in the Canadian Supreme Court for 33 days as an expert witness.”

“This decision is widely seen as the turning point for treaty negotiations in Canada.” 

Mr Taylor noted that the Delgamuukw decision confirmed Aboriginal title does exist in British Columbia and that it is a right to land itself, not just the right to hunt, fish or gather.”

“Dr Sterritt also served for seven years on the International Advisory Committee on Indigenous Community Governance, which dealt with governance issues throughout Australia. He is, and has been, an active member of many boards and agencies.”

Dr Sterritt’s keynote address - International Echoes of Mabo - will examine the respective Mabo and Delgamuukw (1997) decisions, examining how the two cases were similar but difference and what has happened internationally in other cases in relation to the recognition of Native Title/Aboriginal Title since the Mabo decision in 1992.

“He will discuss the question of what lessons flow from Mabo and Delgamuukw and what strategies can and should be employed as a result of the lessons that have been learned,” Mr Taylor said.

Some 600-700 delegates from all parts of Australia are expected to gather at the 2012 Native Title Conference including a diverse range of speakers and presenters drawn from representatives from native title representative bodies and service providers across the country.

These include the Central Desert Native Title Services, the Central Land Council, the Torres Strait Regional Authority, the Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation, the North Queensland Land Council,  Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation, the Bardi and Jawi Niimidiman Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, Barengi Gadjin Land Council, South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, NTSCorp and Waardi Limited & Nyimarr Limited.

Other keynote speakers include the Attorney General for Australia, the Hon. Nicola Roxon MP, Mick Gooda (Social Justice Commissioner), Professor Mick Dodson AM (Chairperson AIATSIS), Professor Marcia Langton (Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies University of Melbourne),Helen Bowskill (Bar Association of Queensland), Jeremy Dore (Department of Climate Change & Energy Efficiency) and Graham Fletcher (National Native Title Tribunal).

The conference will address the themes of Recognition, Reform, Revolution, Leadership and Legacies, Families and Youth and Culture and Country.

To register, visit aiatsis.gov.au or if you have any inquiries place contact AIATSIS’s Native Title Research Unit on either (02) 6261 4250 or (02) 6246 1108 or e-mail: ntconference@aiatsis.gov.au