The name is absent

171
conscious effort on the part of Aboriginal people to construct an
Aboriginal society which, while conserving elements of traditional
society, also contains adaptations of the traditional ’world' which

*
enable the people to build identity in the contemporary Australian
situation.

In analysing the ’world* of the mob the framework used by
Sorokin will be used.
r
,                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ∙                                                                                                           1

f *
⅛

2

12.2 Membership of the group

12.21 The marmgu

It has been pointed out that the membership of the group contains
a nucleus of people who acted and suffered together to achieve better
working conditions in the forties - a period sufficiently close in
time to preserve powerful memories of group suffering and group
support. The group consists of about 600 people; the main languages
are Nyangurmata and Manyjiljarra.

Membership is voluntary.
*-

In many respects there is a reflection of earlier tribal
practice, in that the group, while preserving an entity, is not a static
one. People move away for various reasons and return later.

12.22 Membership of white people

2

The membership of white people employed by the group is non-
automatic. Membership is by appointment and contract and may be
terminated. The white employees and their families are given section
membership so that members of the community will know the correct
way to interact with them. They in turn are educated in the correct

¹See p. 23 above.

2

See pp. S4, 5S for a brief background history and composition of
the Strelley Mob.

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