ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the relationship between Indigenous people and rural criminology. It focuses on Indigenous people in Australia. The chapter presents that the applicability of rural criminology to Indigenous people needs to take account of the complexity and diversity of Indigenous experiences, much of which has been influenced by longer-term colonial policies. Two key issues are identified for further exploration: access to justice, and Indigenous agency and place-based approaches. The research and theoretical issues raised here also have some applicability to Indigenous people living in other Anglo settler colonial societies. The socio-demographic profile of Indigenous people shows profound contemporary disadvantage, which in general terms is intensified in more rural and remote areas where access to services is restricted. An appreciation of the historical struggle between Indigenous people and the colonial state provides a more nuanced approach to understanding the potential application of rural criminology. Elements of cultural strength and attachment are also associated with some remote and rural Indigenous communities.
