Sovereign Subjects Indigenous Sovereignty Matters

These essays on indigenous rights by Australia's emerging and established intellectuals examine the implications for those continuing to live in a state founded on invasion. Exploring implications in law, writing, history, and public policy, this discussion shows that for indigenous people self-determination, welfare dependency, representation, cultural maintenance, history writing, reconciliation, land ownership, and justice are all inextricably linked to the original act of dispossession by white settlers and the ongoing loss of sovereignty. Especially important in light of the problematic interventions in remote communities in 2007, this collection offers a new agenda for indigenous politics and studies.

Aileen Moreton-Robinson is a Geonpul scholar and professor of indigenous studies at Queensland University of Technology. She is the author of Talkin' Up to the White Woman and editor of Whitening Race.