Indigenous Well-Being in Australian Government Policy Contexts

This paper is designed to be the beginning of a dialogue about Indigenous well-being in government policy contexts in Australia rather than a definitive analysis. It arises from a larger report prepared for the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC; Grieves, 2006). The Cultural Heritage Branch seeks to analyse current government policy approaches to Indigenous Australian well-being to establish where Aboriginal cultural heritage activities are included and can be included. The major project, of which the large report is a component, addresses the research question: How does cultural heritage, as an activity field, enhance Aboriginal well-being and how can cultural notions of well-being be applied to government policies concerned with Aboriginal people in NSW?

Cultural heritage has been defined as ‘consisting of places and objects which are valued by the community. As well as buildings and landscapes, it includes objects representing traditional ways of life and symbols of events which have touched communities’ (English & Gay, 2005). Importantly, Indigenous Australians also have a unique heritage as the first people of Australia, which is acknowledged by the Australian Government as Native Title. Moreover, Indigenous Australian cultural heritage includes intangible factors, which have their basis in ways of being and doing, and also expressed in oral and performative expression, for example, Indigenous Australian languages, music and dance that connect people to the land.

This article includes findings about Commonwealth Government policies relating to well-being, with a focus on: Indigenous Australian culture and heritage; the alignment between government's well-being policies (and relevant legislation); the nature of Indigenous Australian community participation in this area; and consideration of the conceptual framework that underpins the current government policy framework.