Population mobility and indigenous peoples: the view from Australia

Area of Science:

• Demography
• Indigenous Studies
• Sociology

Background:

• Emerging field of demographic research on indigenous minority population mobility.
• Focus on Australasia and North America, with political, scientific, and policy rationales.
• Review of Australian literature on indigenous mobility.

Purpose of the Study:

• Advance understanding of spatial dynamics of indigenous populations.
• Identify research needs and priorities in indigenous mobility studies.
• Explore potential for an indigenous variant of the mobility transition theory.

Main Methods:

• Literature review structured around four perspectives: propensity to move, spatial redistribution, flows and networks, and migration careers.
• Comparative analysis of indigenous and non-indigenous population mobility research.
• Cross-national comparison of indigenous mobility patterns.

Main Results:

• Identified commonalities in indigenous mobility patterns across Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the U.S.
• Highlighted research gaps and priorities by comparing indigenous and non-indigenous mobility research.
• Suggested the value of further cross-national comparative studies.

Conclusions:

• Indigenous population mobility in Australasia and North America shares common patterns and processes.
• Further cross-national research is valuable for understanding indigenous mobility.
• Findings provide a basis for developing an indigenous mobility transition model.