Staff Profiles

Wayne Atkinson Phone: 8344 6820 Email: waynera@unimelb.edu.au Office: Medley Building Room 439

Background

Wayne Atkinson is a descendant of the Yorta Yorta and the Dja Dja Whurrung people of central and northeastern Victoria. His works in Indigenous studies embrace a broad range of areas, which include research, writing, land and cultural heritage reform, and teaching. For the last two decades Wayne has worked with his people on their historic struggle for land justice. He was responsible for researching and preparing the previous claim of 1984, which forms the basis of the Yorta Yorta v State of Victoria and Ors (1996-2001). After unsuccessful outcomes from the Federal Court decisions of 1998 and 2001, the Yorta Yorta are currently preparing their case to be heard by the High Court if leave is granted. Wayne is one of the principal Yorta Yorta claimants and is an elected representative of his ancestral lineage of some 1200 kinfolk. He is also a served on the Yorta Yorta Elders Council, which is the central body that represents the Yorta Yorta Nation on land, water, heritage, and compensation matters.

In addition to this experience, Wayne has gained extensive knowledge from cultural exchanges with Indigenous groups in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and the South Pacific Region. He completed his academic studies at La Trobe University in Archaeology, History, and Legal Studies and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in 1996. He completed his PhD thesis: 'Not One Iota: The Yorta Yorta Struggle for Land Justice' in July 2001. The thesis is a politico-legal analysis of the extent to which the Yorta Yorta have gained land justice on the basis of inherent rights. The study is a multi disciplinary approach in which academic disciplines are combined with an Indigenous epistemology.

Research

Indigneous Land and Heritage rights discourse, history of the Indigneous Political Stuggle, Indigneous Land Management Practices, Cultural Resource Management and Protection, Use of Oral knowledge in local Indigneous History, Research Ethics and Indigneous Studies.

Native Title and Land Justice: The Yorta Yorta Experience.

Subjects Taught

• 1st year: Indigenous People and the State
• 2nd/3rd year: Indigenous Rights: Land and Heritage

Supervision

Indigenous Studies, Land and Heritage Issues, Native Title, History of Koori Political Struggle in South East Australia.

Recent Publications

Journal Articles

'Not One Iota, of Land Justice: Reflections on the Yorta Yorta Native Title Claim 1994-2000', In Indigenous Law Bulletin, Vol. 5, Issue 6, February- March, 2001.

Conference Papers

Koori Perceptions of the Land: Conflict in Land Use,Presented to Outdoor Education Forum Melbourne University, 1999.

Change, Adaptation and Continuity: An Indigenous Perspective. Paper presented to Reconciliation Forum, Nillumbik Shire Council, 1999.

Land Rights and Self Determination. Paper presented to Trades Hall Forum organised by Students for Land Justice and Reconciliation, Melbourne University, 2 September 1999.

Yorta Yorta Perspective on the Native Title Process. Presented to the Sing Loud for Land Justice Forum, Trades Hall, October 1999.

Other Research Presented

Yorta Yorta Management Plan for the Claim Area. Plan. Research Project funded by the National Estate Grants Program, 1996-1999.

The Victorian Government's Land Validation Act, 1998: Return to or Continuation of Colonial Mindset, 1998.