Ebbie

re What if a white baby were being reared by a black or other colored mother? Would the baby then identify itself as coloured and prefer that shade of skin?

I know a white Australian woman who, with her husband, went to the Central Australian desert and lived a tribal aboriginal life for over a dozen years. Her daughters were brought up as part of that community, speaking the indigenous language as their first language and English as their second.

Both daughters were accepted as part of the indigenous family and consider themselves aboriginal. Now adult, one now works in an art gallery in Alice Springs, central Australia, where her language skills are used to liaise between the gallery owner and local indigenous artists. She is still very identified as an indigenous person.

I have a friend whose stepfather was an indigenous Australian. When she grew up she married an indigenous Australian, so I guess she understood and preferred a man similar to the one who was her actual parent, if not her biological parent.

freda