‘No-one's really aware of where they are’: A case study of Indigenous student mobilities in Australia's northwest

Abstract

Indigenous Australians have often been described as highly mobile people, particularly in historical and remote ‘wilderness’ contexts. To date though, very little research has examined the relationship between Indigenous temporary mobilities and formal education systems, which assume and require ‘settled’ residency practice. This paper situates one such analysis in the northern tourist town of Broome, Western Australia. It draws on both qualitative and quantitative data from educators and schools in and around the town to paint a detailed picture of Indigenous temporary mobilities as they relate to the formal school sector. It demonstrates that Indigenous temporary mobilities, though largely invisible to policy makers, occur frequently and require more intentional and informed responses. The paper concludes by discussing some locally practiced and/or imagined responses.