472
Where urban Aborigines promote the issue of Land Rights as
4√ ? '
an issue for themselves, rather than acting to support the activities
of tradition-oriented people, this has been seen as an act of
*
oppression by the latter. In terms of constructing a psychological
world in which a viable urban Aboriginal identity may be located,
such action leads to rejection by traditional people. Thus
Land Rights activism may promote the cause of urban Aboriginal
identity at the cost of alienating traditional people.
(ii) Causual-meaningful bonds
It is difficult to find causal-meaningful bonds that are
inherited as part of the group and are different from those of
white society. The bonds that exist arise from the negative
treatment of mainstream society. It is these bonds formed by
rejection, which, paradoxically, provide one of the strengths
upon which emerging identity can be built. .
(iii) Inherent continuity of the group
There is no evidence of inherent continuity of a group from
within. Rather the boundaries from without act to provide this
continuity.
27.3 Insights to be drawn from the Strelley construction of identity
The. following areas can be isolated as providing insights
for the construction of an urban Aboriginal identity.
27.31 Theorizing
The effect of theorizing in constructing a psychological
'world* with which the individual and groups can interact and
structure identity has been demonstrated.
