Meet the author - Marcia Langton and Aaron Corn

Marcia Langton and Aaron Corn will be in conversation with Anthony Connolly on Marcia and Aaron's book, Law: The Way of the Ancestors, which challenges readers to consider how Indigenous law can inspire new ways forward for us all in the face of global crises.

Law is culture, and culture is law. Given by the ancestors and cultivated over millennia, Indigenous law defines what it is to be human. Complex and evolving, law holds the keys to resilient, caring communities and a life in balance with nature.

Marcia Langton and Aaron Corn show how Indigenous law has enabled people to survive and thrive in Australia for more than 2000 generations. Nurturing people and places, law is the foundation of all Indigenous societies in Australia, giving them the tools to respond and adapt to major environmental and social changes. But law is not a thing of the past. These living, sophisticated systems are as powerful now as they have ever been, if not more so.

'Our Laws are forever present and provide the pathways for all Australians to truly learn how to belong to this continent.' - June Oscar

'No other current work has been able to so comprehensively explain the significance of traditional law in all its manifestations.' - Henry Reynolds

Professor Marcia Langton AO, PhD is the granddaughter of a Yiman man and an anthropologist, ( ANU alumna) and geographer. Since 2000 she has held the Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne, where in 2017 she was appointed as the first Associate Provost at the University of Melbourne. Her role in the Empowered Communities project under contract to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and as a member of the Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians are evidence of Professor Langton's academic reputation, policy commitment and impact, alongside her role as a prominent public intellectual.

Professor Aaron Corn, Inaugural Director of the Indigenous Knowledge Institute at the University of Melbourne has a background in music, curatorial studies and Indigenous knowledge. He works closely in co-designed research with Australian Indigenous colleagues and communities and serves as a Director of the National Recording Project for Indigenous Performance in Australia. His research investigates new strategies for strengthening human cultural diversity in the digital age with emphasis on the durability of Indigenous knowledge across generations and cultures.

Professor Anthony Connolly is Dean of the ANU College of Law. Prior to entering academia, he was an Indigenous rights lawyer working with Indigenous communities in Western Australia on native title, cultural heritage protection, and other human rights matters.

The vote of thanks will be given by Professor Asmi Wood ANU College of Law, whose immediate past position was as Interim Director of the National Centre for Indigenous Studies.

This event is in association with Harry Hartog Bookshop. Books will be available for purchase on the evening in the Cultural Centre foyer. Pre-event book signings will be available from 5.30pm, and available again after the event.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Registration is required for this event.

• Accessible parking spaces are available around campus should you require them.

• To help keep everyone safe, please ensure that you are familiar with, and follow, the advice from ACT Health regarding COVID-19.

• If you do not feel well, please refrain from attending this event.

• By registering for this event, you are accepting our privacy policy.

• A podcast will be made available after the event.

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