Ancestral footprints: assumptions of 'natural' athleticism among Indigenous Australians.

Adair, D

Ancestral footprints: assumptions of 'natural' athleticism among Indigenous Australians.

Adair, D

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Publisher:: Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, 2012, 15 (2), pp. 23 - 35
Issue Date:: 2012-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Adair, D https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7998-3414	en_US
dc.date.issued	2012-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, 2012, 15 (2), pp. 23 - 35	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1440-5202	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/30021
dc.description.abstract	This article addresses the fascination with Aboriginal physical acumen in sport, arguing that although performance excellence ought to be appreciated there are risks associated with an obsession about the capabilities of Indigenous athletic bodies. In particular, there is a (generally unspoken) assumption that Indigenous people ought to rely on their sportive proficiency in order to command respect in wider society. This overlooks their potential for success in areas where the body is not centre stage, such as in education, science, business, information technology, fine arts, and so on. In developing a critique of sport performance and Indigenous involvement, the paper presents perspectives from two non-Aboriginal observers, Peter McAllister and Robert De Castella, one an academic and the other a former elite athlete. McAllister, influenced by evolutionary biology, contends that Indigenous Australians are naturally well equipped to be top-flight sprinters, while De Castella, influenced by his interest in endurance athletics, predicts that Indigenous Australians are naturally well equipped to be top-flight marathon runners. It is difficult to imagine a more starkly opposite set of athletic performance expectations from the same population group. The paper concludes that although sport remains a crucial domain for Indigenous pride and confidence, Aboriginal athletes like their non-Aboriginal peers can benefit from a range of skill sets via education, training and other types of professional or cultural development. The well-rounded athlete, whether Indigenous or otherwise, is arguably better placed to adapt to complex socio-economic environments both during elite sport and in a transition phase to life beyond the playing field.	en_US
dc.publisher	Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues	en_US
dc.title	Ancestral footprints: assumptions of 'natural' athleticism among Indigenous Australians.	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	15	en_US
utslib.for	1608 Sociology	en_US
utslib.for	13 Education	en_US
utslib.for	16 Studies in Human Society	en_US
utslib.for	21 History and Archaeology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/e-Press
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business/Management Discipline
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.consider-herdc	false	en_US
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.volume	15	en_US

Abstract:

This article addresses the fascination with Aboriginal physical acumen in sport, arguing that although performance excellence ought to be appreciated there are risks associated with an obsession about the capabilities of Indigenous athletic bodies. In particular, there is a (generally unspoken) assumption that Indigenous people ought to rely on their sportive proficiency in order to command respect in wider society. This overlooks their potential for success in areas where the body is not centre stage, such as in education, science, business, information technology, fine arts, and so on. In developing a critique of sport performance and Indigenous involvement, the paper presents perspectives from two non-Aboriginal observers, Peter McAllister and Robert De Castella, one an academic and the other a former elite athlete. McAllister, influenced by evolutionary biology, contends that Indigenous Australians are naturally well equipped to be top-flight sprinters, while De Castella, influenced by his interest in endurance athletics, predicts that Indigenous Australians are naturally well equipped to be top-flight marathon runners. It is difficult to imagine a more starkly opposite set of athletic performance expectations from the same population group. The paper concludes that although sport remains a crucial domain for Indigenous pride and confidence, Aboriginal athletes like their non-Aboriginal peers can benefit from a range of skill sets via education, training and other types of professional or cultural development. The well-rounded athlete, whether Indigenous or otherwise, is arguably better placed to adapt to complex socio-economic environments both during elite sport and in a transition phase to life beyond the playing field.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/30021