Rekindling culture through resources: Aboriginal resource management strategies and aspirations at Weipa

Abstract

Based on empirical evidence from Weipa, far north Queensland, this thesis focuses on the traditional Aboriginal landowners of the area. It explores the ways in which they are rekindling their cultural identities through resource management strategies and aspirations. In a locality where Aboriginal resource management is juxtaposed with the industrial resource management system of Comalco’s bauxite mine, the thesis finds that local Aboriginal options are inextricably linked to wider scale processes. The main influencing forces identified are Comalco, the RAAF Base Scherger and the state and federal governments. The thesis examines the ways in which the local landowners are pursuing their aspirations more effectively by actively engaging with these forces. Show more