Upcoming & recent events

Rob Blowes SC has kindly made available to a wider audience the materials he compiled for a workshop of lawyers and anthropologists at First Nations Legal and Research Services Melbourne on June 10th 2025. Disclaimer Please note: this is NOT legal advice. It does not purport to be a comprehensive set of materials on the […]

CNTA held a workshop hosted by First Nations Legal and Research Services (FNLRS) in Melbourne on 15-16th May 2025. The purpose of the workshop was principally to understand the different roles of lawyers and anthropologists when working for native title outcomes in complex operating environments. These involved speakers outlining and -in the case of genealogies […]

Collaborating to Build Capability in the Native Title Sector: A Case Study on Anthropologists Attached is a case study of workforce issues for anthropologists prepared for the recently held Commonwealth Inter-agency Committee on Native Title in Adelaide. The paper builds on a survey of our sector run by CNTA in 2023, followed by a small […]

Recently, CNTA commissioned consultant anthropologist Sarah Bell, to write a foundational course on native title for use by NTRBs, NTSPs and Land Councils. The foundational course is specifically for inducting new staff. With the scarcity of available formal training courses in native title anthropology in Australian universities, and the increasing demand for anthropologists throughout the […]

In 2025 CNTA was able to offer internships and exchange opportunities to anthropologists to spend time in another organisation. The opportunity attracted a strong field of applicants. The following people initially won places. Ms Timaima Dawidi enjoyed a place with QSNTS Dr Paul Dottin (hosted by YMAC in Perth) Ms Emma Dennis who spent […]

The 2025 Centre for Native Title Annual Conference Venue: Royal on the Park Hotel Brisbane 152 Alice Street, Brisbane, QLD 4000 6-7 th February 2025   ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Day 1 – Anthropology and the native title workforce 9.00-9.15: Welcome from CNTA Directors Housekeeping Julie Finlayson Research Fellow CNTA Session Facilitator: Petronella Vaarzon-Morel 9.15-9.50: […]

ANTHROPOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE: sought, needed, recognised Professional practice workshop Convened by: Anthropological Society of Western Australia And Centre for Native Title Anthropology VENUE: St Catherine’s College, University of Western Australia Tuesday 26 November 2024   CNTA 2024 – Ken Haywood Intro Brightened Acknowlegment and Opening CNTA-ASWA Ken Haywood CNTA-ASWA David Trigger CNTA-ASWA Julie Finlayson Session One […]

Let’s Talk: Unexpected Challenges in the Native Title Environment 8-9 February 2024 Adelaide Venue: Lincoln College North Adelaide 7 February: Pre-conference Site visit to SA Museum Archives. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Two groups: 9.30am and 11.00am. Meet the group in the Science Centre courtyard. Entry to the building is via a swipe card. So please […]

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CNTA again joined with the Anthroprospective to continue with the theme of Ethics, Advocacy and Expertise at Queen’s College. See the attached program and the presentation by Ms Erica Taylor of Expertsdirect. QUEENS COLLEGE VIDEOS QUEENS COLLEGE GALLERY Please click here for full gallery photos

On the 9th of September 2023, Anthroprospective and the Centre for Native Title Anthropology teamed up to host an evening for close to 50 people for discussion and learning as we explored the intersection of ethics, advocacy, and expertise in the field of anthropology in Australia. An esteemed panel of experts delved into the complexities […]

The CNTA concept of a community of practitioners was actioned when Research Managers met in Brisbane in late August to discuss issues associated with native title research. Attached is the program. We invited external speakers and welcomed presentations by Emily Sexton, Richard Martin and Sarah Holcombe. The importance of managers meeting regularly cannot be under-estimated […]

CNTA held an inaugural workshop for First Nations staff and consultants working in the native title sector. Participants met in late August in Brisbane and were represented by  employees of the Federal Court, the National Native Title Tribunal, and staff from QSNTS, CYLC and NQLC. Although a small gathering, we welcomed First Nations staff and […]

In early August this year (2023)CNTA collaborated with the Anthropological Society of Western Australia (ASWA) to run a one day workshop at St Catherine’s College titled Creating the Archive, Reading the Archive, Reproducing the Archive: A symposium on documents, their production and their use in Heritage, Native Title, and Community Development. This was the first […]

In this recently uploaded videocast and podcast, anthropologist Courtney Boag of First Nations Legal & Research Services (FNLRS) interviews Melbourne based QC Sturt Glackin and anthropologists Wendy Asche (consultant) and Mick O’Kane (FNLRS) on the topic of compensation. The panel explores how compensation claims may be developed in the more densely settled regions of Australia. […]

CNTA’s 2022 Annual Conference had the theme Protecting and managing the Indigenous Estate, and was held from 9-11 February. It was the first virtual annual conference. Originally, it had been intended that sessions would be conducted simultaneously in venues in Cairns, Darwin, Perth and potentially Canberra, while being available at all sites and beyond them […]

On March 17 2021, CNTA Director Nicolas Peterson and Research Fellow Julie Finlayson attended a Forum for Native Title practitioners  held in Sydney by the NSW District Registry of the Federal Court. The purpose of the Forum was to continue ongoing discussions and developing best practice processes for the Native Title practice area in New […]

Trustee corporations and their Indigenous beneficiaries: meeting challenges in the sustainable utilisation of trust funds. Presentations from a workshop held in Alice Springs, 27-28 May, 2021. This workshop focussed on the governance of compensation and other such funds held in trust for Indigenous groups, not on the internal governance of RNTBCs and other Trustee corporations. […]