AustLit

In this subject we take an anthropological view of contemporary Aboriginal life in all its variety, but we also look at the relationship between the pre-colonial past and the post-colonial present in the forging of Aboriginal identities. Students gain an anthropological understanding of features of Aboriginal life which to an extent predate the European settlement of Australia, such as foraging economies, systems of kinship and marriage, and the culture of ‘the Dreaming’. We also take an anthropological view of the impact of colonisation and how Aboriginal economy, society and culture have been transformed through relationships with non-Indigenous Australians. In particular, we consider how Aboriginal people have become increasingly conscious of themselves as a single people defined as an Indigenous minority in a settler nation. This subject would also suit students undertaking an international development or Aboriginal studies minor.