Conclusion

Abstract

Some scholars celebrate the fact that the cultural continuity of the Indigenous people of Australia has continued despite all these effects. Others mourn the loss of the main part of Indigenous culture. Drawing on the experience of the fieldwork at Yarrabah and the data gathered in its course, in this chapter the author argues that it is more significant to discuss “why and how” Indigenous Australians have lost and maintained elements of their culture and practices based on their Indigenous value system rather than “how much” of their culture has been maintained. Certainly, discussion surrounding the socio-cultural changes that have impacted on the Indigenous people must be specific rather than simply saying that “their cultural practices have been transformed”. The changes in Indigenous lives, for example in using forks in place of their hands, should not be discussed in tandem with the changes in Indigenous beliefs and values related to Indigenous philosophy as if these changes were parallel or otherwise comparable. But the author’s analysis nevertheless emphasises that the “traumatised sense of cultural loss” visible in the community at Yarrabah constantly impacts on their collective identity and cultural confidence, impeding their opportunities in Australian society.