Participation in cultural events and social activities
Overall 61% of Indigenous people aged 15 years or over in non-remote areas and 87% in remote areas had attended a cultural event in the last 12 months. There was almost no difference in rates of attendance by disability status.
Overall 90% of Indigenous people aged 15 years or over had been involved in social activities within the last three months. There was very little difference in these rates of participation between remote and non-remote areas, and for people with different levels of disability. This result differs from findings for the general Australian population, in which people with a profound core activity limitation generally have lower community participation than other people (ABS, 2002 NATSISS and 2002 GSS).
Nearly one-quarter (23%) of Indigenous people with a profound or severe core activity limitation stated that they either could not get to, or often had difficulty getting to, the places they needed to go, compared with 14% of those whose disability or limitation was not further defined, and only 9% of Indigenous people with no disability or long-term health condition. Among people in non-remote areas who had a profound or severe core activity limitation, 28% of those aged 15-34 years and 34% of those aged 55 years or over stated that they either could not get to, or often had difficulty getting to, the places they needed to go.
Identification with Indigenous group and recognition of traditional country
The proportion of Indigenous people aged 15 years or over who identified with a clan, tribal or language group, or who recognised an area as homelands or traditional country varied between remote and non-remote areas (table 5.18). The differences by disability status were not statistically significant.
5.18 Cultural attachment by Disability Status, Indigenous persons aged 15 years or over - 2002 |
|  |
| | Profound or severe core activity limitation(a) | Total with a disability or long-term health condition(a)(b) | No disability or long-term health condition(a) | |
| | Non-remote | Remote | Non-remote | Remote | Non-remote | Remote | |
| |
| Identifies with a clan, tribal or language group | % | 39.7 | 81.8 | 45.7 | 78.3 | 45.7 | 75.7 | |
| Recognises area as homelands or traditional country | % | 61.6 | 88.2 | 65.8 | 87.4 | 62.1 | 85.0 | |
| Speaks an Indigenous language | % | 11.9 | 61.6 | 10.3 | 53.9 | 7.6 | 54.4 | |
| Indigenous persons aged 15 years or over | no. | 14 900 | 6 900 | 75 600 | 27 300 | 129 500 | 49 800 | |
| |
| (a) Differences by disability status are not statistically significant. |
| (b) Includes profound or severe core activity limitation. |
| ABS, 2002 NATSISS |
Language
In the 2002 NATSISS, there was a substantial difference in the proportion of people in non-remote and remote areas for whom English was the main language spoken at home (98% and 55% respectively). However, there was no difference in English language use between people with a disability or long-term health condition and those without a disability within either non-remote or remote areas.
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