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The Deep Colonizing Practices of the Australian Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
Author(s) -
Marchetti Elena
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of law and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.263
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1467-6478
pISSN - 0263-323X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-6478.2006.00366.x
Subject(s) - indigenous , hegemony , royal commission , commission , institution , politics , construct (python library) , political science , sociology , law , ecology , computer science , biology , programming language
This paper demonstrates how legal processes utilized by institutions established to reverse the effects of colonization, can continue the colonizing agenda. The processes reflect ‘deep’ rather than ‘de‐’colonizing practices. The Australian Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC), which tabled its National Report over a decade ago and which was heralded as the inquiry which would transform race politics for Indigenous Australians, is used as an example of a ‘decolonizing’ institution that inadvertently adopted deep colonizing practices. Using data from interviews with 48 Indigenous and non‐Indigenous people who were associated with the RCIADIC, this paper expands Deborah Bird Rose's theoretical construct of ‘deep colonizing practices’ and illustrates how difficult it is to shift hegemonic legal processes and beliefs, despite intentions to empower and embrace Indigenous views.