24 - Refiguring Indigenous economies: a 21st-century perspective

Summary

This chapter explores the Indigenous economic contribution from a comprehensive historical perspective. The contribution of Indigenous people to the development of the Australian economy has at times been assumed to mirror their demographic decline. The chapter examines the policy focus on a form of convergence between Indigenous and non- Indigenous socioeconomic outcomes as measured by statistical indicators that reflect the normative criteria of the dominant society. The enumeration strategy related to Indigenous Australians until 1971 was dominated by a specific provision in the Australian Constitution that stated: In reckoning the numbers of the people of the Commonwealth, or of a State or other part of the Commonwealth, aboriginal natives shall not be counted. The chapter considers different policy approaches, and discusses future options that might better suit diverse Indigenous circumstances and aspirations in the 21st century. Finally, the chapter examines the transformative possibilities that are today emerging for Indigenous economies.