Accommodating difference?: The socio-politics of an Aboriginal fringe camp in a small north Australian town

Abstract

By exploring the socio-political history of a fringe camp in a small Northern Territory town the colonial structures that reinforce separation and marginality are revealed. That this town is surrounded by Aboriginal freehold land and serviced by a predominantly Aboriginal Council speaks of the complex interleaving of Aboriginal and settler interests. These interests have been formed through the violent history of the pastoral frontier in this region. Yet, there is also Indigenous agency in the choice of creek campers to live on the fringes of the town. Indeed, some have been doing so for as long as they can recall and actively state that they have no desire to live in a formal house in the township. Balancing a universal human rights perspective (that considers "conditioned satisfaction", for instance) with that of a culturally and locally informed agency is a key challenge articulated in this paper. Show more