ACAP Learning Resources: ACAP Pathfinder: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Resources: Library Resources

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This guide will help you to get started with locating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources applicable to many units in Social Work, Counselling and Psychological Science.

You can find more information about finding ebooks and journal articles, referencing and other research skills from libguides.navitas.com/learn.

Warning: Some records in online or print resources may contain references to deceased people, sacred or secret material, inappropriate terminology or offensive language, which, though unintentional, may cause distress to some people.

Definitions & Overviews

A good place to start if you need definitions, history, trends, or overviews of a topic is to search the GALE Social Science Encyclopedias.

Searching Multisearch

Find all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources in the library.
Use these live searches as a starting point.
Edit the searches to build your own search for resources on specific topics.
Change the date range or add keywords to these searches to make them more specific.

Find resources in these formats:

Books and ebooks
A udiovisual resources (DVDs, streaming videos)
J ournal articles from 2015 onwards

Find resources (books, articles, ebooks and audiovisual) on these topics.

Featured Library Resources

Here is a sample of books and ebooks with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content. Search the catalogue to find more resources

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal relations by Larissa Behrendt, Chris Cunneen, Terry Libesman, Nicole Watson
ISBN: 9780190310035
Publication Date: 2019
Holding type: ebook and print
Aboriginal suicide is different: A portrait of life and self destruction by Colin Tatz
ISBN: 0855754982
Publication Date: 2005
Holding type: ebook and print
Auntie Rita by Rita Huggins; Jackie Huggins; Lillian Holt (Foreword by)
ISBN: 0855752483
Publication Date: 1994
Holding type: print
The biggest estate on earth: How Aborigines made Australia by Bill Gammage
ISBN: 9781743311325
Publication Date: 2013
Holding type: print
The colonial fantasy: Why white Australia can't solve Black problems by Sarah Maddison
ISBN: 9781760295820
Publication Date: 2019
Holding type: print
Critical Ethics of Care in Social Work by Bob Pease; Anthea Vreugdenhil; Sonya Stanford
ISBN: 1315399172
Publication Date: 2017
Holding type: ebook
Cross-cultural social work : Local and global by Ling, H. K., Martin, J., & Ow, R. (Eds.)
ISBN: 9781420256802
Publication Date: 2014
Holding type: ebook & print
Culturally responsive methodologies by Mere Berryman (Editor); Suzanne Soohoo (Editor); Ann Nevin (Editor)
ISBN: 1299050395
Publication Date: 2013
Holding type: ebook
Expanding the conversation: International Indigenous social workers' insights into the use of Indigenist knowledge and theory in practice by Christine Fejo-King, Peter Mataira
ISBN: 9780992281465
Publication Date: 2015
Holding type: print
Genocide and settler society: Frontier violence and stolen Indigenous children in Australian history by A. Dirk Moses (Editor)
ISBN: 9781571814111
Publication Date: 2004
Holding type: print
Healing in justice: Giving a voice to the silent and forgotten people by Dr Noritta Morseu-Diop PhD (UQ)
ISBN: 9780994382719
Publication Date: 2017
Holding type: print
Health care and Indigenous Australians: Cultural safety in practice by Kerry Taylor & Pauline Guerin
ISBN: 9781352005431
Publication Date: 2019
Holding type: ebook
Indigenous research methodologies by Bagele Chilisa
ISBN: 9781412958820
Publication Date: 2012
Holding type: print
Indigenous social work around the world: Towards culturally relevant education and practice by Mel Gray (Editor); John Coates (Editor); Michael Yellow Bird
ISBN: 9780754648383
Publication Date: 2008
Holding type: ebook and print
Let's talk kinship: Innovating Australian social work education, theory, research and practice through Aboriginal knowledge: Insights from social work research conducted with the Larrakia and Warumungu Peoples of the Northern Territory by Christine Fejo-King
ISBN: 0992281407
Publication Date: 2015
Holding type: print
Mia Mia Aboriginal community development: Fostering cultural security by Cheryl Kickett-Tucker; Dawn Bessarab; Juli Coffin; Michael Wright
ISBN: 9781107414471
Publication Date: 2017
Holding type: print
My tidda, my sister: Stories of strength and resilience from Australia's first women by Marlee Silva
ISBN: 9781741177114
Publication Date: 2020
Holding type: print
Our voices: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social work by B. Bennett, Green, S., Gilbert, S., and Bessarab, D (Ed.).
ISBN: 9781420256734
Publication Date: 2013
Holding type: print
Psychology and Indigenous Australians: Foundations of cultural competence by Ranzijn, R., McConnochie, K., & Nolan, W.
ISBN: 9781420256284
Publication Date: 2009
Holding type: print
Rethinking social justice: From 'peoples' to 'populations'. by Tim Rowse
ISBN: 1922059161
Publication Date: 2012
Holding type: ebook
The rise and rise of judicial bigotry by Stephen Hegan
ISBN: 9780994382733
Publication Date: 2017
Holding type: print
Sand talk: How Indigenous thinking can save the world by Tyson Yunkaporta
ISBN: 192577399X
Publication Date: 2019
Holding type: print
Social work with Indigenous communities: A human rights approach by Linda Briskman
ISBN: 9781862879485
Publication Date: 2014
Holding type: ebook & print
Southern theory: The global dynamics of knowledge in social science by Raewyn Connell
ISBN: 9781741753578
Publication Date: 2007
Holding type: ebook
Southern theory: The global dynamics of knowledge in social science by Raewyn Connell
ISBN: 9780745642482
Publication Date: 2007
Holding type: ebook & print
The stolen children - their stories: Including extracts from the Report of the National Inquiry into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families by edited by Carmel Bird
ISBN: 9780091836894
Publication Date: 1998
Holding type: print
A theory for Indigenous Australian health and human service work: Connecting Indigenous knowledge and practice by Lorraine Muller
ISBN: 9781743317198
Publication Date: 2014
Holding type: ebook
Thinking about poverty by Klaus Serr
ISBN: 9781760021450
Publication Date: 2017
Holding type: ebook
Torres Strait Islander women and the pacific war by Elizabeth Osborne
ISBN: 9780855756970
Publication Date: 1997
Holding type: ebook
Trans dilemmas: Living in Australia's remote areas and in Aboriginal communities by Stephen Kerry
ISBN: 9781351378734
Publication Date: 2018
Holding type: ebook
Trapped in the gap: Doing good in Indigenous Australia by Emma Kowal
ISBN: 9781782386049
Publication Date: 2015
Holding type: ebook and print

Searching Journals

Each field of study has a number of key journal publications which cover the major themes in that area. Searching within these journals, rather than searching an entire database, may provide research that is more relevant to your assessment task.

To help you begin searching:

Peruse the list of journals below. These have been hand-picked for their relevance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources
Watch the short videos which show you how to search within the Library's online journal resources
Finally, check out the list of possible search terms, which you may find useful to get you started.

Key Journals

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources: key journals in the ACAP Library

Australian Aboriginal Studies
"[This] journal publishes thought provoking articles by leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander thinkers about the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge to wellbeing as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of living in and engaging with the world."
Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal
"The Aboriginal & Islander Health Worker Journal is the only national publication written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers. Each issue covers a range of topics including primary healthcare, community profiles, health promotion, best practice models and workforce issues. This journal is essential reading for health workers, service providers, program funders and anyone working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service provision."
Aboriginal Law Bulletin
The ALB provides access to information about Australia's Indigenous peoples and the law.
"A valuable resource to legal practitioners, advocates, policy-makers and researchers, our content covers emerging legislation, policy, case law, international developments as well as grass-root activism and the work of Indigenous communities and organisations"
Australian Indigenous Law Review
The Australian Indigenous Law Review is a peer-reviewed journal publishing quality research on the legal issues affecting Indigenous peoples in Australia and around the world. It is published by the Indigenous Law Centre at the University of New South Wales.
International Indigenous Policy Journal
IIPJ is a peer-reviewed, policy-relevant research journal addressing issues pertaining to Indigenous Peoples throughout the world.

Using any of these databases, run a search with the keywords you have already tried out in the library catalogue. Remember to combine your keywords with AND or OR.

All Databases

Organisations

Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
AIATSIS aims to "develop, preserve and provide access to a national collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage." Collections include research publications, film, photographs, video and audio recordings and other print resources. If you want to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, this is a good place to start.
Reconciliation Australia
Reconciliation Australia is an independent, not-for-profit organisation which promotes and facilitates reconciliation by building relationships, respect and trust between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Australian Human Rights Commission: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
The Commission keeps social justice issues before the Australian Government and promotes community understanding and respect for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Lowitja Institute
The Lowitja Institute is Australia's national institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research. Psychology, counselling and social work students may be particularly interested in the Institute's publications relating to social determinants of health, and social and emotional wellbeing.
Commonwealth Government Indigenous Portal
This website has been developed to share information, news, stories and events that are of interest to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians or people working in Indigenous affairs.
Australian Institute for Health and Welfare
The AIHW produces a range of reports on the health and welfare of the Indigenous population that provide data for monitoring improvements, and for highlighting areas where disadvantages remain.
Centre for Aboriginal Economic and Policy Research (CAEPR) - Australian National University
Includes many resources relating to Aboriginal policy and development.
Queensland State Archives
As a result of past Government practices in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Queensland State Archives holds extensive archival records that include information about individuals, family and community links, historical material, native title determination and other legal matters.
Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC)
SNAICC is the national non-governmental peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The Healing Foundation
The Healing Foundation is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation that partners with communities to address the ongoing trauma caused by actions like the forced removal of children from their families.

Reports and Statistics

Other Useful Resources

Effective strategies to strengthen the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
This paper reviews the evidence on effective and culturally appropriate mental health and social and emotional wellbeing programs and services for Indigenous people in Australia. It identifies what works, what doesn't, and the gaps in the research evidence. Background information is also included on the key determinants of mental health and wellbeing, the local policy context, and the 9 principles of effective program and service delivery in Indigenous mental health policy, programs, and services.
Preparing for culturally responsive and inclusive social work practice in Australia: working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This practice information sheet provides introductory and general information regarding the importance of ensuring social work practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities is culturally responsive and inclusive.
The document from the Australian Association of Social Workers begins by providing an overview of the historical and continued disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and then moves on to discuss the strengths, capacities and resilience of Australia’s first peoples; and the importance of social workers engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing to ensure practice is culturally responsive and inclusive.
Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet: Social and Emotional Wellbeing
Provides information and resources for those working in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector. Includes links to publications, policies, programs and organisations.
Four Corners: The Road to Nowhere
This video is no longer on the website, however the transcript is worth reading for insight into a small, remote Aboriginal community. It's a story that helps explain some of the dysfunction plaguing many remote communities - the chronic violence, the substance abuse and the persistent, shocking markers on health, schooling and jobs. The story can be found at places like Imanpa, a settlement that lies just out of sight of the tourists who stream down the road from Alice Springs to Uluru.
National Library of Australia: Bringing Them Home oral history project
"The Bringing Them Home Oral History Project ran from 1998 to 2002 and served to collect and preserve the stories of Indigenous people and others, such as missionaries, police and administrators involved in or affected by the process of child removals."
It’s despair, not depression, that’s responsible for Indigenous suicide
Article written with Rob McPhee, Deputy CEO of the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service and co-chair of the Commonwealth-funded Kimberley Aboriginal Suicide Prevention Working Group
Decolonising Australia
Is it time to radically rethink the the relationship between Indigenous Australia and the state? Podcast from ABC Late Night Live.
AustLang
AustLang provides information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages which has been assembled from a number of referenced sources.
Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
The AASW Code of Ethics 2020 (the Code), outline the ethical principles and ethical conduct that is required of AASW members for effective, professional, and accountable social work practice in all social work contexts. It is intended to assist all social workers, collectively and individually, to act in ethically accountable ways, in the pursuit of the profession’s aims.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Today the Declaration is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the Indigenous Peoples of the world and it elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of Indigenous Peoples.

Country and Culture

Who We Are: Brave New Clan
Six young Australians share what Indigenous culture means to them today in contemporary urban Australia. From the bustling streets of Sydney to the aquamarine vistas of the Torres Strait, their stories span a diverse population across the country and yet share common themes of resilience, courage, optimism and success.
Putuparri and the Rainmakers
Tom "Putuparri" Lawford is a man caught between two worlds: his past and present in modern society, where he battles with alcoholism and domestic violence; and his future as a leader of his people, reconnecting with his ancestral lands, learning about his traditional culture and shouldering his responsibility to pass this knowledge on to the next generation.
Awaken: Talking Country
Catherine Liddle talks to ground breakers from around the nation about the innate link between Indigenous people and their country and the remarkable lengths that they will take to protect it.
Ailan Kastom
Explores Torres Strait culture as it is today. It examines the history and geography as well as the other influences on the culture that have brought it to this point.
Our Footprint
"Stories of our country by our Elders. Elders to be interviewed on country and reminisce, whether about a dreamtime story or a birthing place area, or a memory of the old homestead and/or mission, this is about our elders sharing their memories and country."
First Nation Farmers
For millennia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have harvested Australian flora and fauna for food. Landline presents stories from its archive exploring the past and future of Australia's First Nation Farmers.

Biography and personal stories

Mabo
This telemovie tells the story of Eddie 'Koiki' Mabo, the Torres Strait Islander, who left school at 15, yet spearheaded the High Court challenge that overthrew the fiction of terra nullius. It traces Koiki's life, through his early exile from his beloved Murray Island, his years of working on the trochus trawlers and the outback railways, to his decision to embrace activism. It also tells of his struggles to begin a school specifically for Aboriginal and Islander children.
Our Story: Six Sisters of the Stolen Generation
Experience the warmth and humour of the Warrells and their beautiful family gatherings, in stark contrast to their tragic childhood memories of being taken from their own families as children.
Lonely Boy Richard
In the Northern Territory, three-quarters of the people behind bars are Indigenous men. Lonely Boy Richard is an intimate account of one man's journey to jail, presenting the human story behind the headlines.
Fred Maynard: Aboriginal Patriot
A powerful and unknown history; Marcus Garvey, Jack Johnson, Mrs Mack all have part to play in this incredible story. This documentary highlights the trailblazers for Aboriginal rights.
Footprints On Our Land
From life on the missions in Yass to now, this program captures Aunty Agnes' life as a survivor of racism, a caring mother and grandmother, and a strong advocate for her community
Angels Gather Here
Follow Jacki Trapman's journey back to her home town of Brewarrina to celebrate her parents' 60th wedding anniversary. Going home is never easy, and for Jackie it means facing the traumas of her past.
In My Blood It Runs
Told through the eyes of charismatic 10-year-old Arrernte/Garrwa boy Dujuan and his family, the film charts the challenges Dujuan faces both in his school and on the streets of Alice Springs.
Transblack
Transblack follows the day-to-day life of four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander transgender men and women. This is the story of how they changed the perceptions of themselves and those closest to them.

Mental health, health and wellbeing

Deadly thinking
An intimate portrait of a community social wellbeing workshop in remote communities and dealing with mental health issues.
Australian Aboriginal "Sorry Business" and Culturally Appropriate Counseling
The grief suffered across the generations by Indigenous Australians over the last 200 years is often the source of the current discontent that has lead to many mental health issues. The intention of this presentation is to look at important aspects of Aboriginal cultures to enable useful assistance in this grief. An attempt to understand and accept these differences and generate the respect that will improve the success rate in therapeutic approaches.
Bluey
A moving and powerful portrait of a young woman trapped in a cycle of violence, hopelessness and despair. She meets a mystery mentor who could change everything.
Men Don't Cry
A mother's concern for her son and his abuse of alcohol takes her on a journey of her own self-discovery, as she observes the self-destruction of her child becoming a 'man'.
Gamarada: A Spiritual Awakening
Redfern is transforming and so are the men in its community. Over the past 3 years a group of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal men have been meeting regularly to confront issues of anger, addiction and dispossession amongst the men the community. With a focus on keeping Aboriginal men out of incarceration and united with their families, the Gamarada program is empowering the men through a diverse range of spiritual practice along with traditional Indigenous healing techniques.
Strong And Deadly
Indigenous young people (12-18 years) have often grown up against a background of entrenched social and economic disadvantage. This program looks at community-based initiatives that draw on culture that are having a significant impact on the health and well-being of Indigenous young people.

Colonisation: history and ongoing impact

First Australians
Produced by Australia's leading Aboriginal filmmakers, the series chronicles the birth of a country and the collision of two worlds. Beautifully filmed, the series blends landscape, art, interviews and first-hand accounts with a vast archival collection to present the birth of contemporary Australia as never seen before, from the perspective of its first people - the first Australians.
Secret Country: The First Australians Fight Back
"This historical documentary from John Pilger is an early exploration of the struggles of Indigenous Australians in their own country, and the long, historical conspiracy of silence in Australia."
Utopia
Directed by John Pilager, this docu-film "is an investigation into Australia's suppressed colonial past and rapacious, often shocking present. Most importantly, it sets out to break the stereotypes of the first people of Australia while telling a heroic story."
My Survival as an Aboriginal
This film delves beneath surface appearances to reveal a strong resistance to assimilation and loss of identity, as the late Essie Coffey, a Muruwarri woman, takes us into the Aboriginal struggle for survival.
Heart Coming Home
In 1945, a teacher, Noel White, came to the Carrolup Native Settlement in south-west WA. The children in his classroom were 'stolen', and confined at Carrolup with little or no family contact.
Utopia
To commemorate National Sorry Day on May 26, SBS ONE is premiering the powerful doco-film Utopia by John Pilger, which explores the history of Australia's first people. Drawing on his long association with Indigenous Australians, Utopia is an investigation into Australia's suppressed colonial past and rapacious, often shocking present. Most importantly, it sets out to break the stereotypes of the first people of Australia while telling a heroic story.

Contemporary

Momentum: Walking With Warriors
NITV's investigative journalism program, Momentum, takes to the streets of inner city Sydney to investigate the state of Aboriginal men's health in Australia today.
East Of Arnhem
Filmed in Arnhem Land NT, the film is a snapshot of life in a remote town just after a major mining closure.
The Learning Circle
Aboriginal men were invited to attend and participate in the Aboriginal Men's Sharing and Learning Circle at Camp Wollombi that considered many of the issues and challenges confronting today's Aboriginal men.
Insight: Aboriginal or not?
A frank discussion about the difficulty in proving that you're Indigenous. More Australians than ever are identifying as Indigenous. The number of those ticking the box in the Census as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander has risen more than 20 per cent since 2006. But there is debate in some Aboriginal communities over who should be able to call themselves Aboriginal, whether your appearance or postcode should have anything to do with it, and whether the current certification system is working as well as it should be.
Insight: Looking After the Kids
What's in the best interest for Aboriginal kids at risk? National figures suggest Indigenous children are being removed from their parents at a rate greater than any other time in recorded Australian history. In this rare discussion, young Aboriginal adults who've been through care share their experiences with Insight and explain what they would've liked growing up, as well as what they want for their own kids.
After the Apology
The rate of Indigenous child removal has increased at an exponential rate since Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered the apology to the Stolen Generations in 2008.