History
The proposal and interim council (1959–1964)
In the late 1950s, there was an increasing focus on the global need for anthropological research into 'disappearing cultures'. This trend was also emerging in Australia in the work of researchers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, leading to a proposal by W.C. Wentworth MP for the conception of an Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (AIAS) in 1959.Mulvaney, DJ (2008), 'WEH Stanner and the foundation of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, 1959–1964', p 58-75, in: ''An Appreciation of Difference: WEH Stanner and Aboriginal Australia'', Hinkson, Melinda and Beckett, Jeremy (eds), Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra. The proposal was made as a submission to Cabinet,Bryson, Ian (2002), 'Aborigines, film and science', ''Bringing to Light: a history of ethnographic filmmaking at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies'', Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, pp 9–17 and argued for a more comprehensive approach by the Australian Government to the recording of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures. In 1960, a Cabinet sub-committee assessed the proposalChapman, Valerie (1988), 'The Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies', ''Resources for Australian Studies in the ACT'', Biskup, Peter & Goodman, Doreen (eds), Centre for Library and Information Studies, CCAE, pp. 194–214 and formed a working party at theAIAS early years (1964–1970)
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies was established as a Statutory authority under an Act of Parliament in June 1964.'Our history', Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/about-us/our-history, retrieved 17 March 2015. The mission of the Institute at that time has been described as "to record language, song, art, material culture, ceremonial life and social structure before those traditions perished in the face of European ways".Mulvaney, D. J. 'Reflections', ''Antiquity'', Vol. 80, no. 308, June 2006, pp 425–434, http://antiquity.ac.uk/Ant/080/0425/ant0800425.pdf This notion is also reflected in the Institute's official functions, as recorded in the Reading of the Bill in Parliament. These were: :(a) to sponsor and to foster research of a scientific nature on the Australian Aborigines. :(b) to treat as a matter of urgency those studies for which the source materials are disappearing. :(c) to establish and conduct a documentation centre on the Aborigines, and a library of books, manuscripts and other relevant material, both for the use of scholars and for public education. :(d) to encourage co-operation with and between scholars in universities, museums, and other institutions engaged in studies of the Aborigines, and with appropriate private bodies. :(e) to publish and to support the publication of the results of research. :(f) to co-operate with appropriate bodies concerning the financing of research, the preservation of sites, and the collection of records. :(g) to promote as and when necessary the training of research workers. :(h) to establish and maintain relations with relevant international bodies. AIAS had a twenty-two member Council, composed mainly of academics, and had a foundation membership of one hundred. The founding Principal of the newly formed institute wasSelf-determination and the Institute (1970–1989)
"Money and other resources are in short supply for Aboriginal control of their livelihood, but not, it seems, for discussing it." – Eaglehawk and Crow letter, 29 March 1974The 1970s marked a period of change for the AIAS. This began with the appointment of the first Aboriginal member of the AIAS Council in 1970. Phillip Roberts, an Alawa man, served on the council from September 1970 until June 1972.Lambert 2011, p. 106 This was followed in 1971 with a second Aboriginal Council member, Senator Neville Bonner, who served on Council until 1974 and for a second term in the late 1970s. And again in 1972, with the appointment of
AIATSIS (1989–now)
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) Act was passed by parliament in 1989, replacing the AIAS Act. The newly established AIATSIS had a reduced Council consisting of nine members, with the AIATSIS Act specifying that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people hold a minimum of five of these Council positions. The new Act also established a Research Advisory Committee, to assess research applications and advise the council. The Aboriginal Studies Press published their best-selling Aboriginal Australia map in 1996,Aboriginal Studies Press: Forthcoming titles and selected backlist, 2014, http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/_files/asp/trade/trade_catalogue_2014.pdf, retrieved 20 November 2014 based on research conducted for the Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia.'Aboriginal Australia map', AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/aboriginal-studies-press/aboriginal-australia-map, retrieved 17 March 2015 In 2001, the Institute launched a two-year Library Digitisation Pilot Program (LDPP). Among the items digitised, catalogued and made available online were 267 volumes of the Dawn and New Dawn magazines held in the AIATSIS collection. AIATSIS also distributed over 2000 free copies of these magazines on CD-Rom, to Indigenous organisations, schools and libraries in New South Wales. Throughout this period, AIATSIS continued to undertake projects focused on the digitisation of collection materials, including their holdings of the complete back catalogue ofGovernance
The Act
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Act 1989 is a CommonwealthCouncil
The AIATSIS Council is a governing body designed to oversee and steer the functions and direction of the institute. The role and responsibilities of the council are mandated in the AIATSIS Act 1989 and detailed in the AIATSIS Council Charter. The Council consists of nine members, four are elected by the institute's membership and five appointed by the Minister.'Council', AIATSIS websiteResearch Advisory Committee
The Research Advisory Committee (RAC) is responsible for assessing and advising on AIATSIS research projects and programs, including research grants. The functions of the Research Advisory Committee are established in the AIATSIS Act, 1989. They are: :(a) to assess applications for research grants made to the Institute and to make recommendations to the Council in relation to such applications; :(b) to advise the Council in relation to research matters; and :(c) to advise the Council in relation to applications for membership of the Institute.'Committees', AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/about-us/governance-and-structure/committees, retrieved 17 March 2015 There are twelve members of the RAC. Three Council members are appointed by the council and eight members of the Institute are elected by the members. The final RAC member is the AIATSIS Principal.'Committees: Research Advisory Committee', AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/about-us/governance-and-structure/committees#research-advisory-committee, retrieved 18 March 2015Research Ethics Committee
The Research Ethics Committee (REC) is responsible for advising AIATSIS on the ethics of the research proposals by staff or grantees of AIATSIS, as well as research carried out through the Institute's external collaborations.'Committees: Research Ethics Committee', AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/about-us/governance-and-structure/committees#rec, retrieved 18 March 2015 The roles in the Research Ethics Committee are based on guidelines published by theNative Title Research Advisory Committee
The Native Title Research Advisory Committee (NTRAC) was established by the AIATSIS Council to oversee the work of the Native Title Research Unit and provide advice to the AIATSIS Principal. There are ten members of the NTRAC, held by people fulfilling the following criteria: *two AIATSIS Council members *the Principal *the Deputy Principal *four experts in the field of Native Title *a representative from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet'Committees: Native Title Research Advisory Committee', AIASTIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/about-us/governance-and-structure/committees#native-title-research-advisory-committee, retrieved 17 March 2015 The NTRAC shares oversight of the quality, independence and ethical research of the Native Title Research Unit with the AIATSIS Council and the Research Ethics Committee.'Native Title Research Unit: About Us', AIATSIS website, http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/ntru/overview.html, retrieved 27 November 2014Publishing Advisory Committee
The Publishing Advisory Committee (PAC) is responsible for making recommendations to the AIATSIS Principal on the selection of manuscripts for publication by the Aboriginal Studies Press. Manuscripts are first submitted to and read by Aboriginal Studies Press staff and are then subject to peer review by scholars and professionals before being assessed by the PAC.'Getting published', AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/aboriginal-studies-press/getting-published, retrieved 18 March 2015 The PAC members contribute the following range of skills: academic credentials; Indigenous community and language knowledge; and writing and publishing expertise.'Committees: Publishing Advisory Committee', AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/about-us/governance-and-structure/committees#publishing-advisory-committee, retrieved 18 March 2015Indigenous Caucus
The Indigenous Caucus is a working group within AIATSIS providing a forum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to meet and discuss workplace issues.AIATSIS Annual Report 2012-2013, p 112, http://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/products/corporate/ar201213-06-chapter4-corporate-governance.pdf, retrieved 18 March 2015 The Caucus also provides advice to the AIATSIS Principal, as well as the broader Institute and its Committees. Caucus also has representatives on the AIATSIS Consultative Committee, a forum for staff and management of the institute to discuss issues. The Indigenous Caucus was revitalised in 2003–2004 and contributed to the development of policies and procedures in that year, notably AIATSIS' Indigenous Training and Career Development Plan. In 2013, the Indigenous Caucus developed a formal Service Charter and elected an Executive consisting of three members.Research
Overview
The AIATSIS Act sets the organisation the task of conducting, facilitating and promoting research in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and training Indigenous researchers. For over 50 years, AIATSIS has conducted research across a range of areas of study relevant to Indigenous peoples, culture, heritage, knowledge and experiences. This has led to a diverse research history; from languages and archaeological research, land rights and political engagement to contemporary topics in health and commerce. The AIATSIS collections not only contain priceless records of Australia's Indigenous cultural heritage, but provide a significant national and international research infrastructure for research by, for and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. AIATSIS is one of Australia's Publicly Funded Research Agencies, alongside organisations such as CSIRO and theEthical research
AIATSIS publishes the Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies (referred to as GERAIS), a document considered to be the leading ethics guidelines for conducting research in and with Indigenous communities in Australia. The guidelines consist of 14 principles. These principles broadly fit under the following themes: *rights, respect and recognition *negotiation, consultation, agreement and mutual understanding *participation, collaboration and partnership *benefits, outcomes and giving back *managing research: use, storage and access, and *reporting and compliance'Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies', AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/guidelines-ethical-research-australian-indigenous-studies, retrieved 19 March 2015 The GERAIS document is required reading for researchers applying for Ethical Clearance for research sponsored by AIATSIS.'Application process', AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/application-process, retrieved 19 March 2015 However, the guidelines are also intended by AIATSIS to inform all research in the field of Indigenous studies. Originally published by AIATSIS in 2000, the latest version of the GERAIS document was published in 2012. This update was made to reflect legal and technological developments that had occurred since original publication. In particular, in the area of intellectual property and the rights of Indigenous people in their traditional knowledge and cultural expressions as well as progress in digitisation technologies and data and information management. These changes reflect AIATSIS' support for the importance of research projects involving appropriate ethical conduct and rights protection for both the way data is collected during research and the findings and materials generated through that research. The GERAIS document is the first point of reference in the ethical review process researchers must undergo before AIATSIS will sponsor a research project. All research projects are reviewed by the Research Ethics Committee for approval, using the following project documents: *an ethical clearance proposal, using the GERAIS document as a guide, *a plain English statement to explain to participants what the project is and how it will be conducted, and *informed consent forms, that are completed by participants of the research. In 2013, AIATSIS was involved in the review of twoNative Title research
AIATSIS began undertaking Native Title research activities through the Native Title Research Unit in 1993, following the 1992 ''Mabo v Queensland'' High Court decision. Native Title research at AIATSIS is primarily funded through the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet'Native title and traditional ownership', AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/research/research-themes/native-title, retrieved 18 March 2015 but research has also been conducted in partnership with other departments and organisations including theFamily history research
AIATSIS publishes a number of resources for anyone wishing to undertake research into their own family history. The ''Family History kit'' is aimed at providing the basics for tracing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage. It contains guides to AIATSIS' own resources, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Biographical Index (ABI) and digitised collection materials, as well as guides to external resources that may help with family history research. General guidance is also provided regarding research resources specific to Indigenous family history research, historical name conventions and usage and confirmation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage. AIATSIS also provides research support to Link-Up case workers and researchers around Australia, who are assisting members of theCollections
Overview
AIATSIS is the only Commonwealth institution responsible for collecting and maintaining materials documenting the oral and visual traditions and histories of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Institute identifies its collection as a "keeping place for culturally significant objects" that is "a resource for anybody looking to improve their knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture".'AIATSIS Collections', AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/collections, retrieved 12 March 2015 The institute's holdings represent thousands of years of history and more than 500 Australian Indigenous languages, dialects and groups. This collection supports, and is a result of, research in the fields of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. An independent assessment in 2014 confirmed that AIATSIS holds over 6 million feet of film, over 40,000 hours of audio, 12,800 unpublished manuscripts and record series, 653,000 photographs, and 120,000 print and published materials (3,000 of which are rare books) among other miscellanea. There are a number of items within the AIATSIS collection that have been both nationally and internationally recognised as significant: * The Australian Indigenous Language Collection – registered in the UNESCO Memory of the World Program. This is a collection of printed materials in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages that represents 200 of the estimated 250 languages spoken before European colonisation, including 40 endangered languages. It is recognised by UNESCO as the "only one of its kind housed in one location and catalogued as one collection". *Sorry Books – registered in the UNESCO Memory of the World Program. AIATSIS holds 461 Sorry Books, representing hundreds of thousands of signatures and messages, from the 1998 campaign estimated to have generated around half a million signatures in total. The books are considered to have "powerful historical and social significance as the personal responses…to the unfolding history of the Stolen Generations". *Luise Hercus (linguist) recordings of Aboriginal languages – added to the National Registry of Recorded Sound in 2012. This collection was made between 1963 and 1999 and includes over 1000 hours of recordings of 40 endangered Aboriginal languages, some of which are no longer spoken. The Audiovisual Archives also holds copies of the first audio recorded in Australia; a series of ethnographic wax cylinder recordings made in the Torres Strait Islands in 1898. The Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to the Torres Strait, led by Alfred Cort Haddon, recorded songs and speech from Mer/Murray Island, Mabuiag/Jervis Island, Saibai Island, Tudu Island and Iama/Yam Island. The AIATSIS collection is housed and managed through the Library and the Audiovisual Archive,Barbara Lewincamp & Julie Faulkner (2003) 'A keyhole to the collection: the AIATSIS Library Digitisation Pilot Program', ‘'The Australian Library Journal'’, 52:3, 239–245, DOI: 10.1080/00049670.2003.10721551 and is broadly categorised into the following groups: Art and artefact: a collection of items including ritual objects, folk art, children's art and modern or 'high art' and span from the late 19th century to the present day. This sub-collection comprises around 600 artworks and 500 artefacts, acquired either as a result of AIATSIS-sponsored field research or through donation or purchase. Books and printed material: a collection of books, pamphlets, serials including magazines and government reports, reference publications such as dictionaries and other published material. This sub-collection holds over 175,680 titles, including 16,000 books and 3740 serials consisting of 34,000 individual issues and is used to support research, especially in Native Title cases and Link-Up services for members of the Stolen Generations. Film: a collection of historical ethnographic films, documentaries and other published film and video titles, consisting of over 8 million feet of film and 4000 videos. Many of the films in the collection were produced by the AIAS Film Unit, which operated between 1961 and 1991. Manuscripts and rare books: a collection of more than 11,700 manuscripts, 2,600 rare books dating from 1766, 2,200 rare pamphlets and 1,700 rare serial titles consisting of 14,650 issues held in secure, environmentally controlled storage. Items are included in this classification on the basis of their age, rarity, value or sensitivity of the content for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Among these items are the Sorry Books and the WEH Stanner papers. Pictorial: this collection contains roughly 650,000 photographs that date from modern day as far back as the late 1800s, and more than 90% of images in the pictorial collection are unique to AIATSIS, making it the most comprehensive record of its kind relating to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Sound: a collection of many unique and unpublished sound recordings totalling approximately 40,000 hours of audio. The recordings represent a breadth of cultural and historical information including languages, ceremonies, music, oral histories and interviews with participants in significant events such as the 1965 Freedom Rides and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Apology to the Stolen Generations.Acquisitions
Since the establishment of the Institute in 1964, the AIATSIS collection has been developed through acquisition by donation, gift and purchase or, through materials created and collected during the work of ethnographic field researchers and filmmakers funded by the AIATSIS grants program. The collection has also been built through deposits of materials, an arrangement which permits the original owners to assign access and use conditions appropriate to the cultural information contained in the items. AIATSIS' approach to collection building is based on three primary criteria: :1. Comprehensiveness – the aim is to have the collection be as comprehensive as possible. Given limited resources, the Audiovisual Archive focuses primarily on unpublished audio and visual materials and the Library generally on published materials. Other items are collected where possible. :2. Significance – items that meet this criteria are considered to make 'a lasting contribution to worldwide knowledge', reflect current AIATSIS research areas, valued by a particular Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community, are not well represented in other collections, have a link to AIATSIS' own history. :3. Representativeness – when resources are limited, AIATSIS will focus on collecting items that are 'representative of a particular class of creativity, research discipline or mode of cultural production.'Collection management
Once material has been acquired by AIATSIS, the Institute faces the challenges of maintaining a cultural resource collection. This is achieved through a collection management plan that involves processes of recording and cataloguing, and appropriate storage and handling to extend the life of physical items and preserving their content through format shifting. Preservation of physical items in the collection is achieved in two key ways: :1. Assessment and monitoring for contaminants, such as insects and mould, as well as any potential deterioration through environmental factors or physical damage.‘'AIATSIS Collection Management Plan 2013–2016'’, AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/about-us/collection-management-plan.pdf, retrieved 12 March 2015 :2. Storage of collection items in climate-controlled vaults, to maintain their integrity and to minimise contact with deteriorating agents such as moisture and light. The Institute also follows international archiving guidelines for the storage and preservation of materials. There are a wide variety of analogue photograph, tape and film formats held in the AIATSIS collection, which pose special preservation and future access risks. The age of some of these formats and materials, combined with the varying conditions in which they were stored prior to their acquisition by AIATSIS, heightens the deterioration of the media. Another preservation issue inherent in these analogue materials is the machines that can play back that particular format, as in some cases the material and the playback device are no longer manufactured. To manage these risks and maintain future access to the collection, preservation of the actual content contained in collection items is also achieved through a program of digitisation.'Caring for the collection', AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/collections/caring-collection, retrieved 12 March 2015Due to the potential issues of long-term archiving and storage of digital items, the opposite process is often employed to ensure access and preservation. In the case of digital publications and manuscripts, the originals will often be printed and incorporated into the print collections as an additional preservation measure. The AIATSIS collection holds material that is sensitive and/or secret/sacred to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In accordance with its founding Act, and as part of their collection management plan, AIATSIS adheres to strict protocols when handling and processing these sensitive items. The institute also supports and adheres to the protocols developed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Library, Information and Resource Network (ATSILIRN). Restricted visual media such as photographs and printed items are stored separately to the rest of the collection and audio and moving image items are not played until any cultural requirements are checked. Restricted material must also be carefully handled during digitisation, which means that the work is carried out in secured conditions such as enclosed booths and by staff that can meet the protocols of the item being digitised.'AIATSIS Collection Access and Use Policy', p 8, AIATSIS website, http://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/about-us/collections-access-use-policy.pdf, retrieved 12 March 2015Digitisation program
AIATSIS launched its Library Digitisation Pilot Program in 2001, before which the Library had no dedicated digitisation equipment or policies for managing digital materials. This two-year program was originally funded by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), and involved the creation of digital collections across the institution. Since then AIATSIS has continued to incorporate digitisation of the collection into its management plan, but have publicly stated that an increase in funding is required for the institute to digitise some of the at risk formats held in the collection before those items are lost. Given these limitations, AIATSIS prioritises the selection of materials for digitisation using factors including significance of the item/s, the level of deterioration, cultural protocols, copyright status, and client demand. One of the identified priorities of the program is to digitise and preserve all of the audiovisual collection currently on endangered magnetic tape formats by the 2025 deadline set by UNESCO.Access to the collection
The collection is housed in the AIATSIS building on Acton Peninsula and is accessible through a number of resources. The AIATSIS Library is open to the public and holds a range of printed materials including manuscripts, journals, readers in different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, dictionaries, published books and rare books, maps, and posters. Access to AIATSIS' print and manuscript collections can be made through the Library's Stanner Reading Room and the film, sound and pictorial collections by appointment through the Access Unit. These physical access points are open limited hours. The AIATSIS Digitisation Program contributes to increased access to the collection; whether access is through on site resources, the provision of copies of materials or the sharing of the collection online. Due to increasing obsolescence of analogue formats, AIATSIS identifies digitisation as the way to preserve those items for future generations to access. This is considered to be particularly important for facilitating "remote access by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities" as well as for access by researchers and the general public. The AIATSIS Access Unit runs a program called Return of Material to Indigenous Communities (ROMTIC), through which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients are provided with up to twenty copies of collection materials that relate to their language group or family. This service is limited to items that have been preserved, so AIATSIS' digitisation program has allowed an increasing number of digital items available to ROMTIC clients. AIATSIS also makes the collection available through a series of online exhibitions and digitised collection material published on their website. These showcase different themes or discrete collections of material, including: *A.M. Fernando Notebooks (London, 1929–1930) – the notebooks of Anthony Martin Fernando, an Aboriginal man living and working in London, written between 1929 and 1930. *Remembering Mission Days – a collection of material relating to the Aborigines' Inland Mission, including maps showing locations of missions and the magazines Our AIM and Australian Evangelical produced by the Aborigines' Inland Mission of Australia. *1967 Referendum – a presentation of images, newspaper clippings, audio material and information about the 1967 Referendum to change the Australian Constitution. *Freedom Ride – a series of collection items including photographs and diary extracts relating to the 1965 Freedom Ride through country NSW, protesting race relations and living conditions of Aboriginal Australians. *From Wentworth to Dodson – an interactive timeline that explores 50 years of AIATSIS history from 1964 to 2014. *Dawn/New Dawn – a complete set of the magazine published by the New South Wales Aborigines Welfare Board. *Koori Mail – the entire back catalogue of the Aboriginal owned and controlled newspaper, it is a collection spanning over 20 years and representing over 35,000 pages of digitised material. *To Remove and Protect – a set of Australian legislation from all states and territories that has since been repealed but which allowed control over Aboriginal lives and livelihoods. These provide historical and legal context for the Stolen Generations and Stolen Wages. *Sorry Books – a selection of messages and signatures from the Sorry Books collection, a series of books containing messages of apology from ordinary Australians, prominent individuals and international visitors to the Stolen Generations. *Maningrida Mirage – a selection of issues of the Maningrida Mirage newsletter, produced by the Maningrida community between 1969 and 1974. Access to the AIATSIS collection is also dictated by legislation governing the Institute and in some instances by legal agreements outlining the terms under which collection materials can be used. The terms for access to the AIATSIS collection are in the first instance set by the AIATSIS Act, Section 41. This section states:1. "Where information or other matter has been deposited with the Institute under conditions of restricted access, the Institute or the Council shall not disclose that information or other matter except in accordance with those conditions. 2. The Institute or the Council shall not disclose information or other matter held by it (including information or other matter covered by subsection (1)) if that disclosure would be inconsistent with the views or sensitivities of relevant Aboriginal persons or Torres Strait Islanders."The conditions referred to in Section 41(1) of the AIATSIS Act are usually covered in the agreement that AIATSIS enters into when material is deposited. These agreements, along with the section 41(2) of the Act, can govern the way that unpublished material can be accessed and used. Access to and use of material in the AIATSIS collection is also subject to the terms set out in the Copyright Act (1968). When a donation or deposit is being made, AIATSIS requests to be made aware of any sensitive items included in the material. The secret or sacred nature of information contained in many collection items is an important factor in access to the AIATSIS collection. To protect items of high cultural sensitivity and reflect appropriate cultural values, access to items that contain culturally sensitive information are restricted to groups or individuals who have the permission of the relevant Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community and the depositor if restrictions have been applied by them. AIATSIS also acknowledges the
Collection resources
Since its inception, AIATSIS has developed and maintained a range of resources to enhance discoverability of the collection. One of the most significant of these resources is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Biographical Index (ABI). The ABI had its beginnings in 1979 as a non-selective biographical register of names, constructed using information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from published material in the collection. In the early years of the biographical register, it was hoped it could "provide an important record of the achievements of Aboriginal people, and be a source of pride for generations to come". Today the index continues to be updated, now containing over 70,000 records and searchable online through AIATSIS' collection catalogue. Other resources available on site include the Perfect Pictures Database, which contains over 140,000 digitised images from the AIATSIS Photographic Collection. This database is added to as more images are digitised and only includes images that are free of secret/sacred access restrictions. AIATSIS also hosts or contributes to a number of online resources, aimed at facilitating access to and understanding of the collection. These include: *Mura – this is AIATSIS' collection catalogue, which can be searched online. *Trove – the AIATSIS collection can be searched through the National Library of Australia's Trove. AIATSIS uses this platform as a means to further enhancing discoverability of and access to its collections. *Thesauri – there are three Thesauri that AIATSIS have created and make available through their website. These relate to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, place names and subject areas of study. The United States Library of Congress has approved these thesauri for use in bibliographic records worldwide.Publishing
Aboriginal Studies Press
In keeping with its mandated functions, AIATSIS publishes the results of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies through their publishing arm, Aboriginal Studies Press (ASP). The Institute began publishing in 1962 with ''A demographic survey of the Aboriginal population of the Northern Territory, with special reference to Bathurst Island Mission''. This and other early publications were released under the imprint Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, the former title of AIATSIS. The ASP publishing imprint was trademarked in 2002, but was operating as the publishing arm of AIATSIS as early as the publication of Helen Ross' ''Just For Living'' in 1987. The AIATSIS Research Publications became an imprint in 2011 and its stated purpose is to publish scholarly research that is derived from the AIATSIS Research Program. Along with the Research program, ASP also publishes the Australian Aboriginal Studies (AAS) journal. All Aboriginal Studies Press-branded titles are peer-reviewed and the majority are published concurrently in print and several ebook formats. The first phone app was published in 2013, and was shortlisted for the 2013 Mobile Awards. Titles published by ASP have included research reports, monographs, biographies, autobiographies, family and community histories, and children's books. Since 2005 the list has aligned more closely with the Institute's research focus. Most publications derive from academic research, some funded by AIATSIS. ASP publishes books by both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous authors who are writing in the field of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. In some cases Aboriginal authors, likePublications
Journal
*''Australian Aboriginal Studies'' (AAS) is a multidiscplinary peer-reviewed journal published biannually by the Aboriginal Studies Press, published since 1983. Each issue contains scholarly articles, research reports andOthers
* * *'' Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia''AUSTLANG
The AIATSIS website hosts the AUSTLANG database, an informative source of information on all knownEvents
AIATSIS hosts a range of special events and research workshops, symposiums and conferences. Yearly and two-early events and conferences include: *National Native Title Conference (NNTC), which is an annual conference that is co-convened by AIATSIS and a native title representative body or native title service provider. The conference is hosted in a different location and focuses on a different theme each year. The NNTC is aimed at engaging "with native title as an active agenda for justice for people and country – both before and after the outcome of native title determination". AIATSIS also publishes some papers and presentations from past conferences. *National Indigenous Research Conference (ANIRC), held every two years as a forum for sharing of multi-disciplinary expertise within the field of Indigenous studies. The program for the conference consists of debates, panel discussions and presentation of papers. A selection of past conference papers and presentations are made available by AIATSIS. *NAIDOC on the Peninsula, a Canberra-based event that has been held each year since 2006 on the Acton Peninsula, outside the AIATSIS building. It is a free, community event that features local and national Indigenous musicians as well as activities for children and families. The aim of the event is to celebrate the cultural heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and it is held during NAIDOC Week. *Wentworth Lecture, hosted by AIATSIS every two years; created in 1978, named after W.C. Wentworth, who was involved in the establishment of the Institute in 1964. The lecture has been presented by a variety of prominent individuals "as a means to encourage all Australians to gain a better understanding of issues that go to the heart of our development as a nation". It was delivered by Marcia Langton in 2019.Location
AIATSIS is located on the Acton Peninsula in a building that was newly built for the Institute and opened in 2001. The building was officially opened by the Honourable W.C. Wentworth and Mr Ken Colbung. As part of the opening theReferences
External links
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