A new report called Aboriginality and Identity: Perspectives, Practices and Policies is now available. To download the report click here.

Background

The issue of Aboriginality and Identity is one of the most critical issues in contemporary Aboriginal affairs. Growing community concern and uncertainty about who is and who is not an Aboriginal and how Aboriginality is defined and determined, usually by non-Aboriginal people to serve non-Aboriginal purposes is a constant source of debate and dialogue in various community settings.

The question of what constitutes Aboriginality and identity, as defined by non-Aboriginal people, is not new. History shows that from the earliest days of invasion and colonisation white people have grappled with the issue and constructed and applied definitions of Aboriginality to primarily serve their own purpose and to marginalise and oppress Aboriginal peoples.

During the early days of invasion and colonisation the concept of “race”, defined by physical characteristics and now an outmoded and scientifically discredited concept, was the pivotal point upon which most colonial constructs turned. The “race” constructed identity defined the “relationships” that colonial forces imposed on the people whose land they invaded and usurped. Prior to 1788 Aboriginal nations across the country knew who they were and their relationship with other Aboriginal nations who shared the broader Australian landscape