CHAPTER V
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RESEARCH CONTEXT∕METHODOLOGY
, Three situations were chosen as providing different ’worlds’
for the study of Aboriginal identity, following upon the early
exploratory discussion with Aboriginal people, namely, Strelley
community near Pt. Hedland in Western Australia, Pt. Augusta,
in the north of South Australia and Adelaide, the capital of
South Australia.
5.1 Strelley
Strelley community was selected for the reason that, on a visit
in 1979, it was apparent that the people had a clear concept of
their identity as a group and had structured an ideology which
provided a framework to construct and maintain Aboriginal identity.
5.11 History of Strelley Community
The Strelley Mod are Aboriginal people from the Pilbara region
of Western Australia who were stockmen, welded into a unity CThe
Mob) by common hardships endured when they went on strike in 1946
for a just wage. Their story, The Story of the Mob, is recounted
in Mikurrunya, the Strelley Community Newsletter.
«
Aborigines from the North-. West and Gibson Desert
had approached Don McLeodz a prospector and miner,
in the early 1940s for help. They invited him to a
meeting at Skull Spring.ʒ
ɪɪhe group is variously known as the 'Strelley Mob’, 'McLeod's
Mob', the Nomads Group.
The Strelley Mob made Don McLeod "a leader in the Law. This
was against the whiteman's law which said that only protectors
appointed by the government could deal with Aborigines" (Mikurrunyaf
23..7,.79:9).
3 - . ..
See map facing this page.