Settling with Indigenous People: Modern Treaty and Agreement-Making

SETTING WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLE describes practical modern attempts to reach local and regional agreements between settler societies and indigenous people.These cases differ markedly from the famous formal treaty negotiations of earlier times, such as those that resulted in the Waitangi Treaty in New Zealand and the numbered treaties in Canada.The book describes ten contemporary, mostly Australian, agreements and treaties. The chapters detail the avenues for indigenous and non-indigenous peoples to resolve disputes and how relationships are sought, developed and maintained. They show how agreement-making has provided a forum in which indigenous groups can negotiate their needs and aspirations, including fundamental issues of recognition, inclusion and economic opportunity.The Australian regional agreements concern South West Australia, Maralinga, the Murray-Darling Basin, and Cape York and there is a chapter on various local government agreements in central and southwest Australia. Urban agreements in Darwin and Vancouver are compared and there are also chapters on the North West Territories and Northern Quebec in Canada and the Ngai Tahu in the South Island of New Zealand. The themes and issues addressed include:governance and leadershipnegotiation strategies, including the role of formal negotiating frameworksthe importance of process and outcomethe crucial impact of politics and timingthe significance of private sector engagementimplementation mechanisms. The authors include indigenous and non-indigenous academics, and others who have been involved in negotiating agreements. They offer important insights into the key contemporary issue of how to implement and sustain an agreement.Langton, Marcia is the author of 'Settling with Indigenous People: Modern Treaty and Agreement-Making' with ISBN 9781862876187 and ISBN 1862876185.