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| Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action | |
|---|---|
| Name | Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action |
| Type | Non-profit research foundation |
| Founded | 1970s |
| Location | Australia |
| Key people | Charles Perkins, Faith Bandler, Oodgeroo Noonuccal |
| Focus | Indigenous rights, cultural preservation, social policy |
Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action The Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action was an Australian independent research and advocacy body established in the 1970s to support Indigenous Australian studies and political advocacy. It operated alongside organisations active in Indigenous affairs and civil rights, engaging with leaders, academic institutions, and community groups to influence policy and cultural recognition. The Foundation worked within a network that included activist figures and statutory bodies to produce research informing legal and social reform.
The Foundation emerged amid the political climate shaped by events such as the 1967 Australian referendum, the activism of figures like Charles Perkins and Faith Bandler, and the community organising exemplified by groups including the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Early interactions involved legal advocates from cases like Milirrpum v Nabalco Pty Ltd and cultural leaders such as Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Vincent Lingiari. The Foundation maintained links with universities including the Australian National University and the University of Sydney and with research centres such as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and the Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), navigating debates that involved the Whitlam Ministry and inquiries that later connected to the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
The Foundation stated objectives aligned with the priorities advanced by Indigenous leaders like Eddie Mabo and organisations such as the Aboriginal Legal Service and the National Aboriginal Conference. Its aims included documenting Indigenous histories comparable to projects at the National Museum of Australia and promoting recognition processes akin to the Native Title Act 1993. The Foundation sought to influence policy discussions involving entities such as the Australian Law Reform Commission, the Human Rights Commission (Australia), and parliamentary committees including the Senate Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs.
Programmatically, the Foundation ran community-based projects analogous to initiatives by the Northern Land Council and the Central Land Council, produced oral history work in the style of collections at the State Library of New South Wales and the State Library of Queensland, and organised seminars with academics from the University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland. Activities included field research comparable to studies by the Lowitja Institute, advocacy campaigns resonant with the Aboriginal Medical Service movement, and cultural preservation efforts paralleling exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and partnerships with performing groups like Bangarra Dance Theatre.
The Foundation was governed by a board including Indigenous and non-Indigenous members drawn from civic institutions such as the Australian Council of Social Service, legal practitioners from the Law Council of Australia, and scholars affiliated with the University of New South Wales. Its staffing model reflected collaborations with research centres such as the Australian Centre for Indigenous History and administrative ties to funding sources resembling the Australia Council for the Arts and philanthropic bodies like the Myer Foundation. The structure incorporated advisory committees similar to those convened by the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Association.
The Foundation produced monographs, briefing papers, and working reports that entered bibliographies alongside works by scholars at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and publications distributed through networks including the Australian Scholarly Publishing sphere. Its research addressed land rights debates discussed in relation to the Mabo v Queensland (No 2) decision, health inequities noted by the Lowitja Institute, and education reforms referenced in reports by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. The Foundation's outputs were cited in policy submissions to bodies such as the Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs and in submissions to inquiries like those convened after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
Collaborative work linked the Foundation with community organisations such as the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) and with university departments like the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research. It partnered on projects with cultural institutions including the National Museum of Australia and with advocacy networks resembling the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples. Internationally, the Foundation engaged with comparative organisations addressing indigenous issues such as those connected to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples dialogues, and with academic exchanges involving scholars from institutions like the London School of Economics and the University of California, Berkeley.
The Foundation influenced debates on land rights, health policy, and cultural heritage alongside the legal milestones associated with Eddie Mabo and policy shifts during administrations like the Hawke Government. Supporters credited its research for informing submissions that shaped instruments analogous to the Native Title Act 1993 and for amplifying voices connected to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and community leaders such as Mick Dodson. Critics argued that some outputs were limited by funding constraints similar to those faced by the Lowitja Institute and by governance challenges comparable to controversies within national representative bodies like the National Aboriginal Conference. Debates persisted over representation, methodology, and relationships with statutory agencies such as the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia).