Aileen Moreton-Robinson facts for kids

Aileen Moreton-Robinson is an amazing Indigenous Australian scholar, writer, and activist. She is a Goenpul woman from the Quandamooka people, who come from Minjerribah (also known as North Stradbroke Island) in Queensland, Australia. She is known for her important work in Indigenous rights and for being a strong voice for Indigenous women.

Aileen Moreton-Robinson made history by being the first Aboriginal person to become a professor in women's studies in Australia. She was also Australia's first Indigenous Distinguished Professor. This means she reached the highest level in her field! She was even the first Indigenous scholar from outside the United States to be chosen as an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which is a very big honor.

Her Early Life and Education

Aileen Moreton-Robinson grew up as part of the Goenpul (Koenpul) people, who are part of the Quandamooka nation on Stradbroke Island in Queensland. Even though she was a bright student in high school, she faced unfair treatment. This experience made her want to fight for Aboriginal land rights and human rights for Aboriginal people.

Later, Aileen went to the Australian National University as an adult student. At that time, she was the only Aboriginal student there. She earned a top degree in Sociology. She then went on to get her PhD from Griffith University in 1998. Her important research was called Talkin' up to the white woman: Indigenous women and feminism in Australia. This research was later published as a book in 1999. It was so good that it was even nominated for major awards like the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards and the Stanner Award. A special 20th Anniversary Edition of her book was released in 2020.

Her Amazing Career

Aileen Moreton-Robinson has taught at many universities. She taught Indigenous studies at Griffith University and Women's studies at Flinders University. She also worked at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) for many years, becoming a Professor of Indigenous Studies. In 2016, she became the first Aboriginal Professor to be given the title of Distinguished Professor at QUT. She has also worked at RMIT in Melbourne.

She leads important groups like the National Indigenous Research Knowledges Network. She has also been a member of the Native American Indigenous Studies Association and the Australian Critical Whiteness Studies Association. She helped start and edit an online journal called the International eJournal of Critical Indigenous Studies.

Aileen Moreton-Robinson has shared her knowledge all over the world! She has been invited to speak at famous universities like the University of Washington, University of California Los Angeles, University of London, and the University of Michigan.

One of her big achievements is creating a special program called the Indigenous Research Methodologies Masterclass. This program helps Indigenous students learn important research skills. It's the only program of its kind designed by Indigenous people to help close the education gap in Australia.

What She Teaches and Researches

Aileen Moreton-Robinson's work focuses on the experiences of Aboriginal Australians since European settlement. She studies topics like race, whiteness, post-colonialism, and indigenous feminism. She also researches native title law and Aboriginal land rights.

Her book, The White Possessive: Property, Power, and Indigenous Sovereignty, is very important in the field of Indigenous studies. It won an award from the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association in 2016. This book helps us understand how ideas about property and power have affected Indigenous people.

Awards and Recognition

Aileen Moreton-Robinson has received many awards for her important work:

• 2024: She became a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
• 2020: She was chosen as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was the first Indigenous scholar from outside the US to receive this honor.
• 2010: She won the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Award for Excellence in Indigenous Education for creating her Indigenous Research Methodologies Masterclass.

Her Books

Here are some of the books Aileen Moreton-Robinson has written or edited:

• Critical Indigenous Studies: Engagements in First World Locations (2016)
• The White Possessive: Property, Power, and Indigenous Sovereignty (2015)
• Transnational Whiteness Matters (2008)
• Sovereign Subjects: Indigenous Sovereignty Matters (2007)
• Whitening Race: Essays In Social And Cultural Criticism (2004)
• Talkin' up to the White Woman: Aboriginal Women and Feminism (1999)