'Aboriginal Economics', Gaala Watson (Sustainable Table)
This article examines Indigenous perspectives on economics and self-determination in Australia, highlighting historical dispossession, economic exclusion, and alternative frameworks for wealth. It explores Indigenous values of communal wealth, economic sovereignty tied to land and spirit, and sustainable solutions.
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This powerful article explores Indigenous perspectives on economics, wealth, and self-determination in Australia. The article examines both historical context and contemporary challenges while offering alternative frameworks for understanding economic relationships. Key themes include:
- Historical context:
- Legacy of legislated economic dispossession.
- Systematic exclusion from wealth-building mechanisms and financial rights.
- Ongoing impacts of historical discrimination on current economic conditions.
- Persistence of stereotypes about Indigenous financial capability
- Different Economic Worldviews:
- Indigenous perspectives on money as a tool rather than a measure of wealth.
- Communal rather than individual approaches to resources.
- Wealth measured through relationships to people, land, and spirit.
- Contrast between "dollar dreaming" and Indigenous values
- Pathways Forward:
- Need for Aboriginal-led economic solutions based on Indigenous values.
- Economic sovereignty is inseparable from land, community, and spirit.
- Importance of clean air, water, and healthy Country in economic thinking.
- Building systems that balance people, Country, and sustainability
The article concludes with a powerful poem illustrating an alternative vision of economic life based on "goodwill economy" principles.
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