The Exam
3 hours plus 5 minutes reading time.
How long is the HSC Aboriginal Studies exam?
The right of Aboriginal peoples to participate fully and effectively in all decision-making that affects their lives and communities.
What is self-determination in the context of Aboriginal peoples?
This 2007 United Nations instrument serves as a global standard affirming Indigenous peoples’ rights to self‑determination, culture, land, and more.
What is the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)?
This South Coast Aboriginal health organisation, founded in Nowra in 1982 with help from the Redfern AMS, now runs 8 sites across Shoalhaven and SE NSW.
What is the South Coast Medical Service Aboriginal Corporation (SCMSAC)?
This ancient Sami vocal tradition, once banned during assimilation policies, is now being revived as a source of resilience, stress relief, and cultural health.
What is yoiking?
This community-led approach, now being trialled in Moree, aims to reduce youth crime by redirecting resources from prisons into prevention and local solutions.
What is justice reinvestment?
To reduce over-representation of Lakota people in jail, some programs have trialled this culturally grounded sentencing practices.
What is Circle Sentencing (or Peacemaking Circles)?
This term refers to respectful engagement with Elders, community members, and organisations when planning and conducting research.
What is community consultation?
Through art, dance, storytelling, language revival, ceremony, music, or film.
What are some examples of how Aboriginal peoples affirm their heritage and identity?
How long should you spend on H&I Q19 (b) worth 20 marks?
The legal recognition of ownership and self-government over territory, which Aboriginal peoples have never ceded.
What does sovereignty mean for Aboriginal peoples?
From 2020 onward, this Indigenous group in Canada has actively resisted the building of a natural gas pipeline through unceded territory, igniting national protests and discussions on land rights.
Who are the Wet’suwet’en, protesting the Coastal GasLink pipeline?
This culturally safe maternity program at Waminda allows Yuin women to have trusted midwives support them through pregnancy, birth, and postnatal care at Shoalhaven Hospital.
What is the Birthing on Country program?
After World War II, Sami families in Lappland often lived in standard 2-room wooden houses with no running water. Today, this community-driven initiative helps modernise housing while maintaining self-reliance.
What are Sami cooperative housing programs?
This local Moree youth organisation, led by CEO Darrel Smith, provides services and advocacy for young people.
What is Miyay Birray Youth Service?
On the Pine Ridge Reservation, alcohol sales are banned — but this illegal trade continues to fuel crime, family violence, and poor health.
What is bootleg vodka?
Research methods that include surveys, interviews, and observation are examples of this kind of data collection.
What are qualitative research methods?
This annual light festival in Alice Springs showcases Aboriginal art, culture, and storytelling through large-scale light installations.
What is Parrtjima Festival?
Write about the social justice issue of health for the Yuin of the Shoalhaven and the Sami of Lapland, Sweden & the issue of criminal justice for the Kamilaroi of Moree and the Oglala of Pine Ridge.
What content do you need to use for section 1c of the exam?
The unauthorised or disrespectful use of Aboriginal cultural expressions, symbols, or knowledge by non-Aboriginal people.
What does appropriation mean in relation to Aboriginal culture?
Launched in 1997, this program protects more than 100 million hectares of land and approximately 6 million hectares of sea through co-managed protected areas result in environmental benefits and social and economic opportunities like employment for Indigenous communities.
What are Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs)?
Named after Elder Aunty Jean Morris, this chronic disease initiative provides tailored exercise, health checks, and culturally safe group support for Aboriginal people in Shoalhaven.
What is Aunty Jean’s Chronic Disease Program?
This 2020 Swedish government initiative, created in partnership with the Sami Parliament, marked the first time Sami perspectives were included in the nation’s suicide prevention and mental health strategy.
What is Sweden’s updated national mental health strategy including Sami perspectives?
In response to rising youth crime, NSW amended this law with Section 22C to tighten rules around bail for repeat offenders.
What are recent changes to the Bail Act 2013 (NSW)?
Limited funding for courts, police, and rehabilitation programs on Pine Ridge comes from this complex system where federal, state, and tribal governments share jurisdiction.
What is the U.S. Federal–Tribal jurisdiction system?
In Indigenous research, this cultural practice may be used as a valid method of collecting knowledge through discussion and storytelling.
What is a yarning method in research?
This Arrernte and Kalkadoon filmmaker is known for works like Radiance (1998), Bran Nue Dae (2010), and Mabo (2012), and is celebrated for bringing Aboriginal stories and voices to mainstream Australian film and television.
Who is Rachel Perkins?
You may have to refer to at least one specific community or a source.
What ways can the markers make Heritage and Identity questions more challenging?
The process by which Aboriginal peoples express, reclaim, and strengthen their cultural identity, practices, and heritage.
What is cultural affirmation?
This type of racism occurs between individuals, often through direct prejudice, insults, or discrimination in daily life.
What is interpersonal racism?
This social media sexual health campaign uses Aboriginal comedians and humour to reduce shame and encourage STI testing among young Aboriginal people.
What is Take Blaktion?
This ongoing investigation, inspired by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, has gathered testimonies about racism, nomad schools, forced relocations, and loss of identity among Sweden’s Indigenous people.
What is the Sami Truth Commission?
St Pius X, Miyay Birray, and the Shae Academy were jointly appointed to run a new facility to provide culturally safe support for young people on bail.
What are Aboriginal bail support services?
Pine Ridge leaders often criticise the federal government for failing to uphold these, promised in 19th-century agreements, that could address root causes of crime by providing resources and sovereignty.
What are treaty rights?
Ensuring the Aboriginal communities decide what knowledge can be shared, preventing exploitation of cultural heritage.
What are some ethical issues related to the consent to publish research in Aboriginal Studies?
Revive, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, the Native Title Act 1993, and the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983.
What are some examples of government legislation and policy used to protect Aboriginal heritage and identity?
1960s to today.
What is the timeframe of the HSC Course?
It refers to the rights that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to protect their cultural heritage — including traditional knowledge, languages, stories, designs, performances, and sacred sites — and to control how this knowledge is used, represented, and shared.
What is ICIP (Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property)?
In 2020, the Closing the Gap framework was re-set through a historic agreement with this national Indigenous representative body and the principle of shared decision-making.
What is the Coalition of Peaks?
These unique events bring people onto sacred Country to practise language, ceremony, weaving, and cultural traditions, with 97.5% of participants reporting healing and improved wellbeing.
What are cultural camps?
This dangerous Sami occupation, modernised with motor vehicles, still causes high rates of musculoskeletal injuries and accidents, making it one of the most hazardous jobs in Sweden.
What is reindeer herding?
An evaluation of Circle Sentencing programs in NSW found they not only reduce reoffending but also strengthen these community values.
What are cultural respect, accountability, and healing?
About 25 police officers.
Covering over 2 million acres, Pine Ridge Reservation is policed by roughly how many officers at any given time?
Uni of Qld's nanofibre spinifex project.
What is an example of how traditional ecological knowledge can drive innovation while respecting cultural custodianship?
Bruce Pascoe's Dark Emu, the Palm Island 'riots,' Zachary Rolfe’s trial, NT domestic violence deaths surge.
What are examples of inaccurate and harmful media coverage of Aboriginal events?