Students

ABSX2060 – Indigenous Histories and Knowledges

2022 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Zac Roberts
Tristan Kennedy
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
40cp at 1000 level or above including ABSX1000
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are recognised as belonging to the oldest living culture on earth with over 60,000 years of histories and knowledges to draw upon. This unit explores Indigenous histories and knowledges from the big bang through to contemporary times. Students will develop an understanding of Indigenous relationships to land, water, fire, food and medicine and recognise the ways in which Indigenous knowledges are utilised in everyday activities. This unit will provide a significant understanding of how Indigenous knowledges about the world can inform future thinking about conservation, land management, climate change and sustainability.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Identify Indigenous Australians' contemporary and historical contributions to knowledge in scientific and community fields
  • ULO2: Recognise the diversity of Indigenous knowledges and in fields of science, technology, land and Country
  • ULO3: Analyse and reflect on the on-going relationship of Indigenous and non-indigenous knowledges
  • ULO4: Communicate effectively, in a range of written and spoken formats, within the conventions of the discipline of Indigenous Studies
  • ULO5: Demonstrate a critical, self-reflective approach to the study of Indigenous histories, based on respect and mutual responsibility

General Assessment Information

Major Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours Due: 04/11/2022 Weighting: 40%

Students will choose a question related to a particular area of Indigenous histories and knowledges and produce a critical essay that is informed by relevant Indigenous Studies literature.

On successful completion you will be able to:

  • Analyse and reflect on the on-going relationship of Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledges.
  • Demonstrate a critical, self-reflective approach to the study of Indigenous histories, based on respect and mutual responsibility.
  • Communicate effectively, in a range of written and spoken formats, within the conventions of the discipline of Indigenous Studies.

Minor Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours Due: 09/09/2022 Weighting: 30%

Students will produce an essay which responds to one of a choice of questions related to unit content

On successful completion you will be able to:

  • Identify Indigenous Australians' contemporary and historical contributions to knowledge in scientific and community fields.
  • Recognise the diversity of Indigenous knowledges and in fields of science, technology, land and Country.
  • Analyse and reflect on the on-going relationship of Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledges.
  • Communicate effectively, in a range of written and spoken formats, within the conventions of the discipline of Indigenous Studies

Quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours Due: Week 3, Week 6, Week 9, Week 12 Weighting: 30%

Students will be required to complete a total of four Quizzes based on lecture content. Details will be provided on the iLearn site.

On successful completion you will be able to:

  • Identify Indigenous Australians' contemporary and historical contributions to knowledge in scientific and community fields.
  • Recognise the diversity of Indigenous knowledges and in fields of science, technology, land and Country.
  • Analyse and reflect on the on-going relationship of Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledges.
  • Communicate effectively, in a range of written and spoken formats, within the conventions of the discipline of Indigenous Studies.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Minor Essay 30% No 4 November 2022
Major Essay 40% No Week 3, Week 6, Week 9, Week 12
Tutorial Activities 30% No 9 September 2022

Minor Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 4 November 2022
Weighting: 30%

Students will produce an essay which responds to one of a choice of questions related to unit content


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify Indigenous Australians' contemporary and historical contributions to knowledge in scientific and community fields
  • Recognise the diversity of Indigenous knowledges and in fields of science, technology, land and Country
  • Analyse and reflect on the on-going relationship of Indigenous and non-indigenous knowledges
  • Communicate effectively, in a range of written and spoken formats, within the conventions of the discipline of Indigenous Studies

Major Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Week 3, Week 6, Week 9, Week 12
Weighting: 40%

Students will choose a question related to a particular area of Indigenous histories and knowledges and produce a critical essay that is informed by relevant Indigenous Studies literature.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse and reflect on the on-going relationship of Indigenous and non-indigenous knowledges
  • Communicate effectively, in a range of written and spoken formats, within the conventions of the discipline of Indigenous Studies
  • Demonstrate a critical, self-reflective approach to the study of Indigenous histories, based on respect and mutual responsibility

Tutorial Activities

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 26 hours
Due: 9 September 2022
Weighting: 30%

You will be required to actively participate in weekly online tutorial activities. These will be available on a weekly basis on iLearn.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify Indigenous Australians' contemporary and historical contributions to knowledge in scientific and community fields
  • Recognise the diversity of Indigenous knowledges and in fields of science, technology, land and Country
  • Analyse and reflect on the on-going relationship of Indigenous and non-indigenous knowledges
  • Communicate effectively, in a range of written and spoken formats, within the conventions of the discipline of Indigenous Studies

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

ABST2060 weekly material (weekly topic descriptions, weekly readings and weekly tutorial questions can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/

Students are required to watch online lectures via Echo online and respond to the weekly tutorial questions in online or face to face tutorials or on the unit forums. If you are unable to attend a tutorial please email your tutor and let them know about your situation, your tutor may decide to set you some work to catch up.

The library provides study skills support. Information about library resources and study skills is available at: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study

PC and Internet access are required. Basic computer skills (e.g. internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement.

Please consult teaching staff for any further, more specific requirements.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Protocols for Indigenous Studies

In Australia there are two distinct Indigenous peoples: Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people.

When writing about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples do not use the acronym ‘ATSI’, write in full. Capital letters should always be used when referring to Aboriginal peoples and or Torres Strait Islander peoples.

While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander are acceptable terms to use, it should be recognised that these are collective terms and often used improperly to impose a single identity on the many different communities.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people generally prefer to be known by the language/cultural groups or communities, to which they belong, that is, own names rather than terms such 'the Aboriginals' or 'the Islanders'. For example, Aboriginal people in the area surrounding Macquarie University may refer to themselves as Dharug. It is important that you always check the correct name or terms to use for people in the area/region.

The use of incorrect, inappropriate or dated terminology is to be avoided as it can give offence. Many historical terms or those in common usage some years ago are now not acceptable, including terms such as 'aborigine' ‘native’, ‘savage’ and ‘primitive’. Similarly, do not use the terms ‘half-caste’, ‘part-Aborigine/Aboriginal’ or any reference to skin colour or physical features, as they do not signify that a person is Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and may cause offence. When quoting from academic or other sources that uses inappropriate, dated terminology or racists language, use (sic) directly after the inappropriate term of phrase, thus calling attention to the fact that it has been sourced from the original and that you understand it to be outdated, inappropriate or problematic in the contemporary context.


Unit information based on version 2022.02 of the Handbook