Politics, power and poetry

This book explores various representations of Australian Indigenous identity and proposes an interculturally appropriate research model from an anti-colonial viewpoint. It emphasizes (anti-)colonial power strategies in identity formation processes and examines the socio-political significance of reception processes related to these representations. The investigation delves into the concept of ‘difference’ and its impact on identity formation during intercultural encounters, highlighting tensions between essentialist and non-essentialist views on identity discourse. The analysis includes contemporary Black Australian poetry from authors such as L. Bellear, G. Dixon, and A. Heiss, employing a syncretic reading method that focuses on the reader's experience as effects rather than predetermined acts of reception. While the primary focus is on anti-colonial reception processes, the analysis acknowledges the importance of literary aesthetics in interpreting the texts. It argues that assessment criteria should be rooted in the Aboriginality of the poems. Ultimately, the author asserts that an anti-colonial perspective on Indigenous identity constructions reflects universal mental constructs while simultaneously advancing contemporary Aboriginality.