First published 7 January 2019
Their research examined the concept of ‘cultural humility’ to remove the checkbox justification of European focused laws, based on their work in the Queensland town of Cherbourg.
Throughout 2018, five students volunteered to work with the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council as part of the LLB463 Legal Clinic unit. The students collaborated with the Council to review the local laws in the Shire. As the work progressed, it became apparent that a number of processes and laws were not tailored to the community as they perpetuated European focused practices.
Supervisor of the project, Birrigubba and Kamilaroi lawyer Linda Ryle, said from the first iteration of this work in 2012, the community ownership of the project defined the relationship.
“The Aboriginal Council of Cherbourg is the first Indigenous Community in Queensland (likely across all of Australia) to use this work as a mechanism for pragmatic self-determination,” she said.
For the students, the conference was not only an opportunity to practice their presentation and research skills. Third year Bachelor of Laws (Honours) student Lachlan Taylor said the conference challenged and developed his knowledge of Indigenous legal issues on a global level.
“I learned from the conference that dismissing another culture’s history, traditions and struggles can only flow from a position of privilege and power,” he said.
Lachlan said it would be ignorant for him to now ignore the ongoing impact of colonisation on First Nations peoples, echoing the words of Wassayshikung and Waubshayshii Professor Bryan Loucks from Windsor University.
Professor Loucks opened the conference discussing the importance of relationships and the concept ‘entitlement of ignorance’ – that is, that certain groups are able to choose whether to think about colonisation whereas it is a lived reality for First Nations peoples.
First Nations legal professionals, academics, social workers and others from across the globe also shared their research and experience on various topics.
The importance of building relationships was thematic across the talks and the organisers hope the relationships continue at next year’s conference in Colombia.
More information on QUT Law’s international opportunities for students can be found here.
Adapted from article written by Caitlin Archbold.
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