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At Pt. Augusta, by comparison, a different psychological
model produces a different psychological reality. Young men
1 2
go in fear of being initiated , or see this as a ’backward step* .
The acceptance of a ’tribal’ psychological model at Strelley
. . 3
means that the Kadaitja men have reportedly been sighted in recent
times. Whether sightings took place or not is irrelevant. The
point is that, reported sightings, given credibility, affirm the
existence of the tribal psychological modeɪ and its power over
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the individual to reproduce psychological reality, just as reported
visions of the Virgin Mary affirm the existence of a religious
model of a different world of meaning.
The acceptance of those elements of the Law within the model
which prescribe kin behavioural patterns are reflected in the observed
avoidance patterns between adults in daily encounter, in the behaviour
of school age children in the structured class situation, in the
importance placed on ’straight* marriages (i.e. marriages within
the prescription of the Law).
At the same time, it is possible to observe the psychological
reality being adapted to accept as real the sedimented norms of
cattle stations, norms about which the Law is silent.
Thus the young cattle breakers dress in wild west outfits.
Work with cattle is attractive and exciting.
It would seem that these values of white society have been absorbed
without further adverting to their provenance. It is not because
they are white values they are embraced. Rather, they are intrinsically
attractive. The Law says nothing good or bad about working with
cattle or about the clothes to be worn.
At Pt. Augusta there were a number of instances where individuals
affirmed nervousness at the presence in the town of men from the north -
the nervousness arose from the fear of the young men that they would be
taken off and initiated.
⅞aped interview.
∖adaitja refers to shoes made of fur string and emu feathers, and
to the men who wear them, forming a party to avenge injury through magic
(Elkin, 1954:313-315; Berndt and Berndt, 1981:324-5).
when this research was written up, and discussed with the men at
"Strelley, they requested that this fact should not be published, a
further proof of the reality of their psychology model.