title: Study of intra-racial exclusion within Australian Indigenous communities using eco-maps.
abstract: In Australia, 'indigeneity' is not determined by skin colour, but rather by a person's heritage, acceptance by an indigenous community, and active participation in the affairs of that indigenous community. Some people who identify as indigenous, however, have experienced 'colourism' - that is, experiences of social exclusion because of the colour of their skin - from non-Indigenous and also Indigenous Australians. This paper describes research that explored the effect of intra-racial exclusion on the mental health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians, with a particular focus on skin colour or 'manifest indigeneity'. Framed within a qualitative design, an eco-map was used to guide in-depth interviews with 32 participants that gave rise to personal stories that described the distress of experiencing intra-racial colourism. Findings were derived from a thematic analysis that identified four major themes: 'Growing up black', 'Living on black country', 'Looking black', and 'Fitting in black'. These findings are important because they suggest a way forward for mental health nurses to better understand and support the mental health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians who have experienced social exclusion as a result of colourism.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Indigenous Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.|Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Kerrie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health, Charles Sturt University, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hungerford
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cleary
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D012929:Psychological Distance; D063505:Racism / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D055815:Young Adult; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
keywords: Indigenous Australian; colourism; ecological systems; identity; mental health; social determinants of health