Interculturality, identity, and self-determination in an Aboriginal cultural centre

Abstract

ABSTRACTDiscussions of Indigenous rights are repeatedly mired in two complex areas of debate: the nature of relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, and the perceptions people bring to their recognition of Indigenous and non-Indigenous identities. Accepting that questions of relation and questions of identity cannot be separated from one another, we can consider projects of Indigenous self-determination as ones that pursue not only political and economic authority, but also relationships that reflect a positive awareness of and engagement with Indigenous peoples’ identities. The outcomes of projects of self-determination, therefore, depend on the nature of intercultural exchange people experience in the process, and so the kinds of intercultural relationships established as a result. This article offers a case study from Muru Mittigar Aboriginal Cultural and Education Centre, established in Castlereagh, NSW for the purposes of advancing Darug culture; supporting the economic and social wellbeing of all Aboriginal Australians; and providing a meeting place for the sharing of cultures. Muru Mittigar thus exemplifies the dual mission of projects of self-determination, rooted in goals of self-governance and self-representation. As a cultural centre, Muru Mittigar further allows for consideration of the work of intercultural engagement in a space frequently defined as a nexus for the development of identity; for work stemming from and in support of that identity; and for gaining recognition from others of that asserted identity. Arguing the necessity of intercultural relationships for the realisation of Indigenous self-determination, this space provides opportunity for close examination of the engagements enacted there, and their impacts on the identities of the Darug as a community and Muru Mittigar as an institution. What is revealed are the ways in which these tools of self-determination can limit intended outcomes, throwing into sharp relief the intercultural difficulties to be navigated in projects of self-determination.