Open AccessDefining 'Indigenous': Between Culture and Biology
Author(s) -
Stephen Pritchard
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
cultural studies review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.116
H-Index - 2
eISSN - 1837-8692
pISSN - 1446-8123
DOI - 10.5130/csr.v10i2.3471
Subject(s) - indigenous , project commissioning , identity (music) , publishing , meaning (existential) , sociology , legislation , indigenous culture , environmental ethics , cultural identity , law , social science , epistemology , anthropology , political science , aesthetics , biology , ecology , philosophy , negotiation
This essay considers a range of discourses on identity and the definition of culture. I have little doubt that, generally speaking, Indigenous people are quite capable of defining the meaning of ‘Indigenous person’ or ‘culture’ in a way that satisfies their specific immediate needs and interests. My concern here is with the definition of ‘Aboriginal or Indigenous person’ in Australian law and legislation and with the critical response, by members of the scientific community as well as cultural theorists, to references to a biological basis of identity