Agreements Treaties and Negotiated Settlements Database

The Agreements Treaties and Negotiated Settlements (ATNS) database (www.atns.net.au) is an online gateway and resource that links current information, historical detail and published material relating to agreements made between indigenous peoples and others in Australia and overseas. Designed for use by indigenous and other community organisations, researchers, government and industry bodies, the ATNS database includes information on agreements not only relating to land, but those made in the areas of health, education, research, policy and indigenous relations. Since its public launch in 2003, the database has become an important research facility and is the only resource of its kind in Australia that demonstrates the range and variety of agreement making with indigenous peoples in various jurisdictions. As governments, industry and indigenous peoples are using agreements as the major policy and governance tool for the conduct of their relationships, the database's significance lies in its utility as a public resource. In Australia, as in other settler states, agreement making with indigenous peoples is becoming increasingly important. Since the first land use agreements signed under the provisions of the federal statute, Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1974 more than twenty years ago, there has been a proliferation of agreements between indigenous peoples and other parties including local, state and federal governments; proponents of major