Fortescue vs Yindjibarndi: land rights and welfarism in third spaces

Abstract

This paper investigates the negotiations between the Yindjibarndi community in the remote north-west of Australia and Fortescue Mining Group over compensation for land use. Mining is a significant industry in Australia providing economic resources and large-scale infrastructure. However, this wealth is not without controversy, especially where disruptions to Indigenous practices exist. Drawing on postcolonialism and the idea of a hybrid space where colonial practices and decolonising resistance are present, we explore, through the use of accounts, a neo-colonial “reality” of land rights and welfarism.