 
Native Title Anthropology Internships

Overview
The Program introduces anthropology students and graduates to career opportunities in native title, policy, human rights, social justice and Indigenous affairs. The aim of the program is to provide assistance to the anthropology and research staff of under-resourced and over-worked Native Title Representative Bodies (NTRBs) working in native title as well as to various Other Organisations working in these areas.
Note: The term Native Title Representative Bodies (NTRBs) includes five Native Title Service Providers (NTSPs) receiving specific funding to perform some NTRB functions (Central Desert Native Title Services, Native Title Services Victoria, NTSCORP, Queensland South Native Title Services and South Australian Native Title Services).
Short-term internship positions
NTRBs employ lawyers, anthropologists and other researchers, field officers and administrative staff to represent and support Indigenous communities in native title claims, advocacy and other negotiations. Other host organisations advocate policies of reconciliation and equal rights for Indigenous Australians while some provide assistance to Indigenous communities with cultural heritage activities, as well as associated business and community-based initiatives.
Anthropologists play a key role in native title work in Australia in conducting research, undertaking field work and preparing ‘connection reports’ for claims under the Native Title Act 1993. Applications are open to both undergraduate and postgraduate anthropology students.
Most internships run for 5 to 6 weeks over the June to August and November to March university breaks. They are a full-time workload usually around 40 hours per week.
Aurora Native Title Internship Program
Applications for the summer 2010/11 internship round will be open from 9am AEST Monday 9 August through 5pm AEST Friday 3 September 2010.
Longer-term placements: part-time, locum and full-time paid opportunities
In general we try to propose people for longer-term placements who have graduated and/or concluded a 6 week unpaid internship. This gives both the intern and the host organisation an opportunity for a 'try-out' work experience in the area. If you are neither an Aurora alumnus or a graduate and you are interested in paid opportunities, we encourage you to apply for an Aurora internship. If you progress to the interview stage, you will have the opportunity then to mention your interest in an ongoing paid placement which might then eventuate following on from your unpaid internship.
Participation in the Aurora internship program links alumni to Aurora’s extensive network which in turn offers future employment opportunities in the areas of native title, policy and Indigenous affairs.
Alumni of the Aurora Native Title Internship program are encouraged to apply for paid positions at any time either by contacting the Placements Team or the organisation directly when specified in job opportunity correspondence, distributed by Aurora.
Graduates and qualified practitioners interested in paid opportunities are encouraged to contact the Placements Team to discuss their specific qualifications and circumstances.
Please note that we rely completely on demand from the host organisations so it is difficult to know what positions may be available.

Selection criteria
Selection for one of the internships will require that applicants:
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have a strong academic record |
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have an interest in the area of native title, policy and Indigenous affairs |
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have good interpersonal and communication skills |
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have cultural awareness and sensitivity |
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commit to the minimum internships required timeframe. |
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Locations of anthropology internships
Locations of internships are Australia-wide at the 15 NTRBs and NTSPs as well as at around 40 Other Organisations, working in policy and Indigenous affairs. We request that interns provide their preferences at the interview stage and we do our best to accommodate them. Placements are dependent upon the individual organisation's needs and we therefore cannot guarantee interns’ preferences will be met.
NTRBs and NTSPs are located in:
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Adelaide |
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Alice Springs |
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Brisbane |
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Broome |
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Cairns |
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Darwin |
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Geraldton |
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Kalgoorlie |
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Karratha |
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Melbourne |
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Perth |
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Port Hedland |
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Sydney |
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Thursday Island |
Other Organisations that host Aurora interns are located in:
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Adelaide |
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Alice Springs |
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Brisbane |
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Broome |
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Cairns |
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Canberra |
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Camooweal |
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Darwin |
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Kununurra |
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Melbourne |
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Perth |
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Sydney |
Click here to see a map of the NTRB regions.
Click here to see a map of Other Organisations.
Click here to see a list of the NTRBs, NTSPs and Other Organisations.
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Costs associated with anthropology internships
Travel costs and accommodation will, in some instances, be covered, either partially or totally, by the host organisations. Where this is not possible due to resource constraints, internships will be available to those who can self-fund. Regardless, the internships are unpaid and interns are required to cover their own day-to-day expenses (eg. food, entertainment, local travel etc.) Interns are expected to work 5 days/week for the 5-6 week duration.
The Aurora Project does not provide financial support for interns. Some universities have offered funding to students being placed through Aurora. It is the students’ responsibility to make enquiries directly through their university. Aurora is aware that Griffith University, Macquarie University and the University of Melbourne offer such funding.
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University course credit
Some universities provide course credit for undertaking internships or for a paper arising from internships. Aurora is aware of the following universities that offer such assistance: James Cook University, Unversity of Sydney and the University of New South Wales. Applicants should consult with their relevant faculty or school as to the availability of such a program.
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What to expect as an intern
Regardless of whether you are placed at a NTRB, NTSP or Other Organisation, your role as an intern is to assist the over-worked and under-resourced host organisation. The nature of your tasks will vary depending upon the type of organisation you are placed at.
Anthropologists may undertake a range of duties and tasks and while each placement is unique, set out below are some general guidelines on the sort of work you may be asked to do as part of your internship:
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attending meetings on-country and at the placement organisation |
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organising meeting attendees’ transport and accommodation |
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taking minutes at meetings |
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proof-reading documents |
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organising and cataloguing anthropological evidence |
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analysing land claim applications and further documentation in order to identify common practices between local Indigenous communities |
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representing the organisation at community events, such as the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Day of Celebrations (NAIDOC) |
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assisting all staff, such as in the creation of community newsletters |
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data entry into genealogy databases |
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historical archival research: involving note-taking from archival material, archival research preparation, organisation of notes, providing assistance with creating and updating spreadsheets to track research progress |
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setting out and printing genealogies, including ancestor box charts, indented indexes and master indexes |
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learning the basics of conducting interviews with claimants/informants to gather genealogical material |
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interpreting field notes to enter into genealogy databases |
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filing in the library of research documents |
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completing research requests for members of the claimant communities |
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completing social mapping tasks |
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planning, executing and analysing fieldwork with members of claimant groups |
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analysing archival material |
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writing papers for the annual Native Title Conference. |
We encourage all interns to adopt the attitude that they are volunteers at the host organisations and are recipients of a real privilege. These internships are unique in that they are much more about the over-worked and under-resourced organisations than they are about the intern.
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Obligations following completion of anthropology internships
During your internship, a number of obligations need to be fulfilled and as ambassadors of the program, interns will be expected to assist with the promotion of the internship program upon your return. These are to:
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provide weekly written emails on the progress of the internship while on placement |
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complete an overview at the completion of the internship, reflecting on the experience and evaluating it |
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commit to arranging and speaking to classes or interested students at your university and at other local career-based events, within the semester following your return - does not apply to those students who have already graduated |
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commit to writing an article for an appropriate internal faculty publication on your placement |
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continue your internship to the agreed end date |
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read the Aurora Code of Ethics for Interns, which outlines the expectations Aurora has of interns while on placement. |
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