Quick questions on Contemporary Aboriginal identities in HSC Aboriginal Studies

The most important point is that there is no single Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity. More than 250 language groups and nations existed before colonisation, and today Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in remote communities, regional towns and major cities, with different histories, languages and experiences. An urban person whose family was removed and a person living on Country where language is strong are both fully Aboriginal; their identities differ without one being more authentic than the other. Recognising this diversity is the foundation of the dot point.

Stereotypes pressure Aboriginal people into narrow boxes, suggesting that only certain ways of living or appearing are authentically Aboriginal. These stereotypes are themselves a legacy of colonial categorisation and racism. Contemporary identity is asserted in part by rejecting them: by insisting that an Aboriginal lawyer, athlete, artist or city dweller is no less Aboriginal than anyone else, and that culture is lived in many ways. Challenging stereotypes is therefore an act of self-determination over identity.

To examine contemporary identity well, hold together diversity, the self-defined three-part definition, the legacy of removal, the rejection of stereotypes, and the dynamic, asserted nature of identity. The recurring theme is self-determination: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, not governments or outsiders, hold the authority to define and express who they are. Centring that authority is what the Heritage and Identity core rewards.