Belonging Together: Dealing with the Politics of Disenchantment in Australian Indigenous Affairs Policy

Comprehensive and optimistic, this examination describes current Indigenous affairs policy in Australia, concentrating on the period following the end of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission in 2004. It provides a unique overview of the trajectory of current policy, advancing a new consolidated approach to Indigenous policy that moves beyond the debate over self-determination and assimilation. Arguing that the interests of Indigenous peoples, settlers, and immigrants are fundamentally shared, it proposes adaptation on both sides, but particularly for the descendants of settlers and immigrants. Advancing the body of knowledge in the field of the anthropology of policy and public administration, this empirical study is a must-read for policymakers, academics, and Indigenous peoples alike.