Marcia Langton
Encyclopedia
Marcia Lynne Langton is one of Australia's leading Aboriginal scholars. She holds the Foundation Chair in Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne
, Australia
. The program she heads is based in the University's Faculty of Medicine (Faculty of Arts, until 1 January 2007).
and Brisbane, Australia, as a descendant of the Wiradjuri
and Bidjara nations.
An exceptional school student, she enrolled at the University of Queensland
, becoming an articulate activist for Indigenous rights. Disillusioned with the conservative mainstream political reaction to these issues she then left Australia to travel, live and work in several countries including Papua New Guinea, Japan, and in North America.
She returned to Australia and graduated in Anthropology at the Australian National University
in the 1980s. She then worked with several organisations dealing with Indigenous social and cultural issues and land claims.
These included the Australian Film Commission
, the Central Land Council
where she was a land claims anthropologist, the Queensland government, and, in the early 1990s, the Cape York Land Council.
For example, as a member of the Northern Territory Aboriginal Issues Unit she worked for the 1989 Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody. Her report, "Too Much Sorry Business", raised serious concerns about alcohol consumption and the lack of government action to control it; "from an Aboriginal perspective and from the Aboriginal experience alcohol plays a primary role in both the reasons for detention and for the subsequent chances of deaths occurring". The conclusion was that alcohol supply needed limits. Almost 20 years later, she has supported the Northern Territory National Emergency Response
which polices alcohol sales and consumption, among other issues.
In 1995 she moved full-time into university research and teaching. She spent five years as Ranger Professor of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies at the University of the Northern Territory (now Charles Darwin University
) in Darwin, Northern Territory
, before moving to Melbourne.
Her 2005 PhD in Geography at Macquarie University
applies phenomenological theory to the study of Aboriginal peoples of the eastern Cape York Peninsula.
Her international work concerns First Nation rights in Canada, conservation and environmental policies, and long-term support to the people of East Timor
.
Professor Langton supports contemporary Indigenous Australian young adults cultural self-expression
She has argued, controversially, that settlement with mining companies on Aboriginal land is often more beneficial to local interests than it has been with the Australian government. She argues that the proposed 2010 Resource Tax on mining in Australia needs a redesign to support Indigenous rights and employment
She is a frequent media commentator, and serves on various high-level committees on Indigenous issues. These have included the Centre for Aboriginal Reconciliation, the directorship of the Centre for Indigenous Natural and Cultural Resource Management, Chair of the Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council, and Chair of the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership
, QLD. In May 2008, the Federal government appointed her to a committee looking into reform of the Australian Native Title
process.
Films include: Jardiwarnpa: a Warlpiri fire (with Ned Lander & Rachel Perkins
); Night Cries: a rural tragedy (with Tracey Moffatt & Penny McDonald) & Blood brothers. Perkin's First Australians series for SBS television, 2008, features many commentaries by Langton.
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The program she heads is based in the University's Faculty of Medicine (Faculty of Arts, until 1 January 2007).
Brief Biography
Marcia Langton was born in 1951 and grew up in south-central QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and Brisbane, Australia, as a descendant of the Wiradjuri
Wiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
and Bidjara nations.
An exceptional school student, she enrolled at the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
, becoming an articulate activist for Indigenous rights. Disillusioned with the conservative mainstream political reaction to these issues she then left Australia to travel, live and work in several countries including Papua New Guinea, Japan, and in North America.
She returned to Australia and graduated in Anthropology at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
in the 1980s. She then worked with several organisations dealing with Indigenous social and cultural issues and land claims.
These included the Australian Film Commission
Australian Film Commission
The Australian Film Commission was an Australian government agency with a mandate to promote the creation and distribution of films in Australia as well as to preserve the country's film history. It also had a production arm responsible for production and commissioning of films for government...
, the Central Land Council
Central Land Council
The Central Land Council is an Indigenous Land Council that represents the indigenous people of the southern half of the Northern Territory of Australia, predominantly in land issues...
where she was a land claims anthropologist, the Queensland government, and, in the early 1990s, the Cape York Land Council.
For example, as a member of the Northern Territory Aboriginal Issues Unit she worked for the 1989 Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody. Her report, "Too Much Sorry Business", raised serious concerns about alcohol consumption and the lack of government action to control it; "from an Aboriginal perspective and from the Aboriginal experience alcohol plays a primary role in both the reasons for detention and for the subsequent chances of deaths occurring". The conclusion was that alcohol supply needed limits. Almost 20 years later, she has supported the Northern Territory National Emergency Response
Northern Territory National Emergency Response
The Northern Territory National Emergency Response was a package of changes to welfare provision, law enforcement, land tenure and other measures, introduced by the Australian federal government under John Howard in 2007 to address claims of rampant child sexual abuse and neglect in Northern...
which polices alcohol sales and consumption, among other issues.
In 1995 she moved full-time into university research and teaching. She spent five years as Ranger Professor of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies at the University of the Northern Territory (now Charles Darwin University
Charles Darwin University
Charles Darwin University is an Australian public university with about 20,000 students in 2007.The University offers a wide range of Higher Education degrees and Vocational Education and Training courses with flexible study options, including part-time, external and online.CDU has campuses in the...
) in Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, before moving to Melbourne.
Academic Interests
Marcia Langton is known for her work in several academic fields, linked by a concern for indigenous rights, justice, and artistic expression. Langton conducts anthropological work to support land claims by Aboriginal peoples, and their negotiations with mining companies and the state.Her 2005 PhD in Geography at Macquarie University
Macquarie University
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of Sydney...
applies phenomenological theory to the study of Aboriginal peoples of the eastern Cape York Peninsula.
Her international work concerns First Nation rights in Canada, conservation and environmental policies, and long-term support to the people of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
.
Professor Langton supports contemporary Indigenous Australian young adults cultural self-expression
She has argued, controversially, that settlement with mining companies on Aboriginal land is often more beneficial to local interests than it has been with the Australian government. She argues that the proposed 2010 Resource Tax on mining in Australia needs a redesign to support Indigenous rights and employment
She is a frequent media commentator, and serves on various high-level committees on Indigenous issues. These have included the Centre for Aboriginal Reconciliation, the directorship of the Centre for Indigenous Natural and Cultural Resource Management, Chair of the Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council, and Chair of the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership
Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership
The Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership is a public policy organisation formed in partnership between the people of Cape York, Griffith University, and Federal and Queensland Governments....
, QLD. In May 2008, the Federal government appointed her to a committee looking into reform of the Australian Native Title
Native title
Native title is the Australian version of the common law doctrine of aboriginal title.Native title is "the recognition by Australian law that some Indigenous people have rights and interests to their land that come from their traditional laws and customs"...
process.
Awards
- Order of Australia, 1993.
- Neville Bonner Award for Indigenous Teacher of the Year, 2002. (Jointly with Larissa Behrendt)
- Fellow, Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, elected 2001.
- Australia's top 100 Intellectuals (http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Australias-top-100-public-intellectuals/20005/03/11/1110417674077.html Sydney Morning Herald 2005)
- Australia's top 40 public intellectuals (API Network, 2008)
Some important works
- Langton, M., 2010. The Resource Curse. Griffith ReviewGriffith ReviewThe Griffith Review is a quarterly publication featuring essays, reportage, memoir, fiction, poetry and artwork from established and emerging writers and artists. Each edition of the Review is developed around a contemporary theme enabling the issues to be aired and discussed and to put the debate...
no. 29. - Perkins, R and Langton M (eds). 2008. First Australians. An Illustrated History. Melbourne University Publishing, Melbourne.
- Langton, M., and O. Mazel. 2008. Poverty in the midst of plenty: Aboriginal people, the 'resource curse' and Australia's mining boom. Journal of Energy and Natural Resources Law. 26(1): 31-65.
- Langton, M., 2008. chapter in Manne, R. (ed.) "Dear Mr Rudd: Ideas for a Better Australia". Black Inc.
- Langton, M., 2007. Trapped in the Aboriginal reality show. Griffith ReviewGriffith ReviewThe Griffith Review is a quarterly publication featuring essays, reportage, memoir, fiction, poetry and artwork from established and emerging writers and artists. Each edition of the Review is developed around a contemporary theme enabling the issues to be aired and discussed and to put the debate...
Edition 19 - Re-imagining Australia. Sydney: Griffith University. - Langton, M., Palmer, L., Mazel, O., K. Shain & M.Tehan (eds). 2006. Settling with Indigenous Peoples: Modern Treaty and Agreement Making. Annandale, NSW: Federation Press.
- Langton, M. & M. Nakata (eds). 2005. Australian Indigenous Knowledge and Libraries. Canberra: Australian Academic and Research Libraries.
- Langton, M., 2005. An Aboriginal ontology of being and place: the performance of Aboriginal property relations in the Princess Charlotte Bay area of eastern Cape York Peninsula, Australia. Unpub. PhD thesis, Human Geography/Anthropology. Sydney: Macquarie University.
- Langton, M., M. Tehan, L.R. Palmer & K. Shain (eds). 2004. Honour among nations? Treaties and agreements with Indigenous peoples. Melbourne: Melbourne University Publishing. (Choice List of Outstanding Academic Titles 2006, American Libraries Association, Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries)
- Langton, M., 2003. chapter 'Grounded and Gendered: Aboriginal Women in Australian Cinema' in French, L. (ed.) "Womenvision: Women and the Moving Image in Australia" Damned Publishing, Melbourne.pp.43-56.
- Langton, M., 1998. Burning Questions: emerging environmental issues for Indigenous peoples in northern Australia. Northern Territory University. 1.
- Langton M. & W. Jonas., 1994. The Little Red, Yellow and Black (and Green and Blue and White) Book: a short guide to Indigenous Australia. Canberra: AIATSIS.
- Langton, M., 1994. Valuing cultures: recognising indigenous cultures as a valued part of Australian heritage. Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. Canberra : Australian Govt. Pub. Service.
- Langton, M., 1993. Well, I heard it on the radio and I saw it on the television: an essay for the Australian Film Commission on the politics and aesthetics of filmmaking by and about Aboriginal people and things. Sydney: Australian Film Commission.
- Langton, M. & N. Peterson, (eds). 1983. Aborigines, Land & Land Rights. Valuing Cultures: recognising Indigenous cultures as a valued part of Australian heritage. Canberra: AGPS.
- Langton, M., 1983. After the tent embassy : images of Aboriginal history in black and white photographs Sydney: Valadon Publishing.
Films include: Jardiwarnpa: a Warlpiri fire (with Ned Lander & Rachel Perkins
Rachel Perkins
Rachel Perkins is a film and television director, film and television producer and a writer. She is known for her films Bran Nue Dae, Radiance and One Night the Moon. Perkins is an Arrernte woman from Central Australia, who was raised in Canberra by parents Eileen and Charles Perkins...
); Night Cries: a rural tragedy (with Tracey Moffatt & Penny McDonald) & Blood brothers. Perkin's First Australians series for SBS television, 2008, features many commentaries by Langton.
External links
- Profile at Melbourne
- Blog
- Audio recording of public lecture delivered at State Library of Queensland, March 2008, 66 minutes (Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, MP3)
- VIDEO Marcia Langton and Warren Mundine discuss the need for a new dialogue on Indigenous Affairs on ABC FORA
- Deakin Lecture, 2001
- Sacred Symposium remarks, 2004
- Agreements and treaties with Indigenous Peoples project(current funded research, 2004-)
- Newspaper article on the national apology to the stolen generations, Feb 2008
- Germaine Greer's essay is racist: Marcia Langton, The Australian Aug 19 2008
- Profile by Nicholas Rothwell in the Australian Literary ReviewAustralian Literary ReviewThe Australian Literary Review was a monthly supplement to The Australian newspaper established in September 2006 and published on the first Wednesday of each month. It was considered to be a continuation of The Australian's Review of Books, which was a supplement published between 1996 and 2001...
, Sept 2008