In Yuendumu, as in most parts of the Northern Territory and indeed elsewhere in Australia, people draw clear-cut distinctions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous persons and group them as black or white—Yapa or Kardiya.[35] These distinctions mirror the very different lifestyles and educational backgrounds of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.[36] In the 1996 Census, of the total Yuendumu population of 773 persons 70 per cent (or 609 persons) identified as Indigenous, and less than one-fifth (or 137 persons) identified as non-Indigenous.[37]
In looking at the qualifications of the Yuendumu population (see Table 16.1), the starkest contrast is in the area of University degrees. Six are held by Indigenous persons and 44 by non-Indigenous persons. Put differently, half of the non-Indigenous population over 15 years old holds a degree, as opposed to 1.3 per cent of the Indigenous population. On the other hand, 78 per cent (324) of Indigenous persons are not qualified at all (this number rises to 92 per cent if the categories 'not stated' and 'inadequately described' are included in the 'Indigenous' category), as opposed to only 32 per cent (29) of non-Indigenous persons.
Table 16.1. Highest educational qualification (15 years and older), Yuendumu, 1996
| Qualification | Indigenous (no.) | Non-Indigenous (no.) |
 |
||
| Higher degree | 0 | 3 |
| Postgraduate diploma | 0 | 3 |
| Bachelor degree | 6 | 33 |
| Undergraduate diploma | 0 | 5 |
| University degree: total | 6 | 44 |
|
||
| Associate diploma | 8 | 3 |
| Skilled vocational | 0 | 8 |
| Basic vocational | 0 | 0 |
| Inadequately described | 3 | 3 |
| Not qualified | 324 | 29 |
| Not stated | 76 | 3 |
| Total | 417 | 90 |
|
||
| Source: ABS 1998. | ||
In 1996, only 19 per cent (78 out of 417) of Indigenous persons over 15 years old were employed, as opposed to 84 per cent (76 out of 90) of non-Indigenous persons (see Table 16.2).[38]
With this background information in mind, I now turn to an investigation of the various, and sometimes clashing, ideas held by individuals in Yuendumu about what ‘work’ is, and what it should be.
Table 16.2. Occupations of Indigenous and non-Indigenous population, Yuendumu, 1996a
| Occupation | Indigenous (no.) | Non-Indigenous (no.) |
|
||
| Manager/administrator | 0 | 4 |
| Professional | 6 | 29 |
| Associate professional | 3 | 20 |
| Tradesperson/related worker | 3 | 3 |
| Advanced clerical or service worker | 0 | 3 |
| Intermediate clerical, sales, or service worker | 3 | 4 |
| Intermediate production or transport worker | 5 | 3 |
| Elementary clerical, sales, or service worker | 3 | 4 |
| Labourer/related worker | 16 | 6 |
| Inadequately described | 3 | 0 |
| Not stated | 36 | 0 |
|
||
| Total (no.) | 78 | 76 |
| Percentage of population employed (%): | 19 | 84 |
|
||
| Note: | (a) Excludes persons unemployed, not in the labour force, and under 15 years of age. | |
| Source: | ABS 1998. | |
[35] At Yuendumu, people of mixed descent are classified as 'Yapa' (Indigenous) by both groups. Elsewhere a third category of 'yellafella' is recognised.
[36] The contrast becomes particularly stark in statistical comparisons into health, rates of incarceration and deaths in custody, levels of unemployment, life expectancy, and education.
[37] But see Martin and Taylor (1995) on the unreliability of ABS data in remote communities.
[38] These ABS statistics were compiled before CDEP started at Yuendumu. There is no comparative data relating to the current situation to show the impact CDEP has had on employment figures. A study I conducted in 1999 (Musharbash 2000) was limited to 30 households (238 people) and caution should be exercised in generalising from these numbers. Of the sample population, 19 per cent of interviewees were on CDEP and 10 per cent were on wages. This suggests that for the 1999 sample population, in comparison to the 1996 total population, employment has risen by 10 per cent, although the increase in CDEP seems to have coincided with a decrease in work for wages. This has dropped by 9 per cent from 19 per cent to 10 per cent.