Develop in-demand skills aligned with industry best practice you can apply immediately.
Taught by leading experts
Learn from internationally recognised academics and professionals with years of on the ground experience.
Shareable digital certificate
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What you will learn
Gain contemporary skills and knowledge for your job now.
As Victoria and other Australian jurisdictions engage in the early stages of treaty negotiations, the parties involved must have a strong understanding of concepts such as Indigenous sovereignty.
This micro-credential explores sovereignty and its place in relations between Indigenous peoples and contemporary settler societies.
It's ideal for people who will be involved in treaty negotiations, including professionals in the public, private and non-profit sectors, as well as First Nations.
Understand Indigenous sovereignty as a concept and social movement
Engage with theories of sovereignty – and related concepts such as self-determination and autonomy – and examine how this has been understood, historically and today.
Explore recognition of Indigenous sovereignty in settler-colonial states
Critically analyse the place of sovereignty discourse in contemporary Indigenous settler relations. Consider how Indigenous sovereignty is recognised, how it differs from political sovereignty, and the possibilities for recognition.
Examine how Indigenous sovereignty shapes treaty negotiations
Consider the role Indigenous sovereignty will play in treaty processes in Victoria and other Australian jurisdictions. Analyse and critique expressions of Indigenous sovereignty found in documents advancing emerging treaty processes in these jurisdictions.
Who you will learn from
Learn from skilled academics and professional experts who will share invaluable knowledge you can use in your job.
Dr Anya Thomas
Instructor
Dr Anya Thomas completed her PhD at the University of Melbourne and previously worked in treaty negotiations in Canada and the developing treaty process in Victoria.
Dr Matthew Campbell
Instructor
Dr Matthew Campbell has a PhD from Charles Darwin University and over 20 years’ experience working with Indigenous communities in northern Australia.
Dr Conor Hannan
Instructor
Dr Conor Hannan holds a PhD from the University of Sydney and has over ten years’ experience lecturing and coordinating subjects across the humanities and social sciences.
More from this series
Take multiple courses to deepen your knowledge or stack towards a full degree.
The Reshaping Australia’s First People-state relation series
This series covers the critical knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to develop meaningful relationships between First Nations and governments or organisations, with the goal of progressing and transforming treaty negotiations.
Explore more from the Reshaping Australia’s First People-state relation series:
To take Indigenous and Other Sovereignties as a stand-alone micro-credential, you'll pay the normal course price.
$990 AUD (inc GST)
Please contact Student Support to discuss discounts and payment options for University of Melbourne staff or alumni, or to pay by invoice.
For teams
If you have three or more team members who are keen to upskill with Indigenous and Other Sovereignties, get in touch to discuss pricing. For large groups, we can also deliver and contextualise this course exclusively for your organisation.
This micro-credential is ideal for public servants across all levels of government, as well as First Nations, and other private, public and not-for-profit sector professionals who will be engaged in treaty processes in coming years.
To enrol in this course, you need:
A bachelor's degree
Or
A minimum of three years’ work experience (paid or voluntary) related to Indigenous politics and policy, or roles such as community and stakeholder management, or communications and public relations
Or
To be an Indigenous person interested or engaged in the treaty process.
It is recommended that you complete Treaties and Other Agreements as the first course in the series, before undertaking this one.
Relevance to your job and industry
This course covers the critical knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to work at the interface between government and First Nations and self-determining Indigenous organisations.
It is delivered by the Australian Centre, which supports research that advances a critical examination of Australian society, culture and history, with an interdisciplinary focus on settler colonialism and its institutions.
Learning is tailored to the needs of those who are preparing to engage in the treaty process in the near future.
Skills and learning outcomes
By the end of this course, you'll be able to:
Actively engage with, reflect and synthesise Indigenous sovereignty as both concept and social movement
Examine and apply the ways that Indigenous sovereignty will shape and inform contemporary treaty negotiations.
Workload and assessment
This micro-credential runs over six weeks.
Your total time commitment is approximately 42 hours, which includes:
6 hours of guided learning, including webinars and workshops
12 hours of self-directed study, including online exercises
12 hours reading
12 hours of assessment tasks.
Assessment:
Indigenous sovereignty today: Discussion board contributions and concept map (40%)
Sovereignty and treaty: summary statement (60%).
Your digital certificate
Once you've completed this course, you will be awarded your Indigenous and Other Sovereignties micro-credential. This digital certificate will warrant the achievement of knowledge, skills and capabilities outlined in the learning outcomes. It may also include artefacts (such as videos and written material) related to both experiential and work-integrated learning, including translatable assessment that is practical to your professional life. You can also share your micro-credential digitally and via social media by adding it to your personal platforms, such as LinkedIn. See example certificate.
Pathways to further study
Indigenous and Other Sovereignties can be taken as a stand-alone course or complemented with any other micro-credential in the Reshaping Australia’s First People-State Relations series to deepen your knowledge and skills.
The Reshaping Australia’s First People-State Relationsseries provides learners with a pathway into the Professional Certificate in Treaty.
Learners who have completed all four micro-credentials in the Reshaping Australia’s First People-State Relations series, and the course Indigenous Governance Principles, will be awarded the Professional Certificate in Treaty.
Learning experience
This course includes both guided and self-directed learning, to provide both flexibility and support.
Learning activities and resources include a pre-recorded lecture and a mock debate, as well as essential reading and audiovisual resources that bring key concepts to life.
You'll also contribute to the online discussion board and receive valuable guidance and feedback from your course facilitator throughout the course.
