CALL FOR PAPERS:
Conference: “Brothers and Sisters in Arms: Historicising Indigenous Military Service”
Australian Catholic University, Melbourne
25-26 June 2015
The centenary of the First World War has generated significant interest globally in the role Indigenous peoples played in that conflict. Despite centuries confronting European colonialism, Indigenous peoples from around the world served in numerous twentieth century European conflicts, apparently fighting for the very states that were responsible for their oppression and in locations often far removed from home. Across different wars and cultures their treatment, motivations to serve and roles within the armed forces varied, and over time military service has formed a central role in many Indigenous cultures around the world.
This transnational conference will explore the long histories of Indigenous military service. We invite paper abstracts from anyone whose work looks at any aspect of Indigenous peoples and the military. Themes may include:
- Indigenous motivations to serve
- Governments and Indigenous military service
- Treatment
- Racism/Discrimination
- Indigenous servicewomen
- Gender, sexuality, Indigenous cultures and the military
- Indigenous units
- Indigenous peoples on the home front
- The veteran experience
- Commemorations and memories of Indigenous service
- Cultural representations of Indigenous service
- Military service and colonialism
- Frontier wars and Indigenous service history
Confirmed conference keynote speakers include Professor Emeritus Tom Holm (University of Arizona, http://www.ais.arizona.edu/people/tom-holm) and Dr Teresia Teaiwa (Victoria University, Wellington, http://www.victoria.ac.nz/pasifika/about/staff/teresia-teaiwa).
Abstracts of no more than 150 words, along with a brief biography, should be submitted to Catherine.Bishop@acu.edu.au by 30 November 2014. Postgraduates and Early Career Researchers are strongly encouraged to send abstracts. Details about possible publication opportunities will be forthcoming.
We have a small amount of funding to provide a limited number of bursaries to subsidise international travellers, especially postgraduate students and early career researchers without institutional support. If you require financial assistance, please include with your abstract a brief outline of the funding available to you (i.e. home institution conference funding).
Any enquiries may be directed to conference convenors:
Dr. Noah Riseman (Noah.Riseman@acu.edu.au)
Dr. Catherine Bishop (Catherine.Bishop@acu.edu.au)