Race and power: Imagining Indigenous Australia

This unit critically examines the ability of white Australia to know Indigenous people through the discursive power of representation. This unit explores white Australia's attempt to represent Indigenous people, moving beyond the historical, political and legal 'facts' of the colonial encounter to address the inherent theoretical problems of 'talking' about and for Australia's Indigenous peoples. Topics covered include representation of Indigenous people in media, history, sport, culture, public administration and law. The unit is self reflexive and critically assesses way the Western academy has claimed to possess knowledge about Indigenous people and authority over Indigenous lives.