Native Title in Australia An Ethnographic Perspective [Hardcover]

Discusses fundamental anthropological issues with Aboriginal Australians, focusing on kinds of customary rights that are 'held' in Aboriginal 'countries'.Native title continues to be one of the most controversial political, legal and indeed moral issues in contemporary Australia. Ever since the High Court's Mabo decision of 1992, the attempt to understand and adapt native title to different contexts and claims has been an ongoing concern for that broad range of people involved with native title claims. In this book, Peter Sutton sets out fundamental anthropological issues to do with customary rights, kinship, identity and spirituality that are highly relevant for lawyers and others working on land claims cases.Native title continues to be one of the most controversial political, legal and indeed moral issues in contemporary Australia. Ever since the High Court's Mabo decision of 1992, the attempt to understand and adapt native title to different contexts and claims has been an ongoing concern for that broad range of people involved with native title claims. In this book, Peter Sutton sets out fundamental anthropological issues to do with customary rights, kinship, identity and spirituality that are highly relevant for lawyers and others working on land claims cases.Peter Sutton highlights fundamental anthropological issues concerned with customary rights, kinship, identity and spirituality that are highly relevant to land claim cases. Native land claims continue to be one of the most controversial political, legal and moral issues in contemporary Australia. Ever since the High Court's Mabo decision of 1992, the attempt to understand and adapt native title to different contexts and claims has been an ongoing concern for all involved.List of figures; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Map; 1. Kinds of rights in country; 2. Local organisation before the land claims era; 3. Aboriginal country groups; 4. Atomism versus collectivism; 5. Underlying and proximate customary tl£‡