Person: Indigenous Status, Code N

Guide for Use:

This metadata item is based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) standard for Indigenous status. For detailed advice on its use and application please refer to the ABS website as indicated in the Reference documents.

The Indigenous status question allows for more than one response. The procedure for coding multiple responses is as follows:

• If the respondent answers 'Yes, Aboriginal' and 'Yes, Torres Strait Islander', then their response should be coded to 'Yes, both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin'.
• If the respondent answers 'No' and one or more of the following:
  • 'Yes, Aboriginal'
  • 'Yes, Torres Strait Islander'
  • 'Yes, both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander'

then the response should be coded to 'Not stated/inadequately described' if the response cannot be clarified with the respondent.

Collection Methods:

The following information provides advice on the recommended way to ask the Indigenous status question.

Self-enumerated collections

For self-enumerated collections (for example, self-completed questionnaires or forms), the following question is recommended:

Q1. [Are you] [Is the person] [Is (name)] of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?

• No
• Yes, Aboriginal
• Yes, Torres Strait Islander

If [you] [the person] [(name)] are of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin, answer using both 'Yes' options.

This approach may be problematic in some data collections, for example when data are collected using screen based data capture systems. An additional response category of 'Yes, both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander' may be included if this better suits the data collection practices of the agency or establishment concerned.

If the Indigenous status question has not been completed on a returned form, this should be followed up and confirmed with the person.

Interviewer-conducted collections

For interviewer-conducted collections in which the Indigenous status of one person is collected, the following question set is recommended:

Q1. Are you of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?

• Yes
• No (no more questions)

Q2. Are you of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?

• Aboriginal
• Torres Strait Islander
• Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

The first question is used to sequence out non-Indigenous Australians. The second question is used to determine the specific Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin of the person. A benefit of this approach is that the interviewer is not required to prompt the respondent with response categories. The 'Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander' response category can be included or excluded in interviewer conducted collections depending on which option best suits the data collection practices of the agency concerned. Including the additional response category ensures that respondents are aware of the option to identify as being of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.

Various articulations of the standard question are recommended to address the following circumstances:

Person is present and answers

This question wording is recommended where it is known that the person being interviewed is the subject:

Q1. Are you of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?

Q2. Are you of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?

Person is not present and someone else who knows the person well answers

The following question wording is recommended when another member of the household answers for the person. Examples of such incidents include: parents answering for children, or relatives answering in hospital situations.

Q1. Is [the person] [(name)] of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?

Q2. Is [the person] [(name)] of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?

Person is deceased and someone else answers on their behalf (for example, death information form)

In these circumstances a close relative or friend should answer. Only if a relative or friend is unavailable should the undertaker or other such person answer. The suggested question wording follows:

Q1. Was [the person] [(name)] of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?

Q2. Was [the person] [(name)] of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?

Person is an infant and parents answer (e.g. perinatal information form)

In this circumstance it is recommended that parents are asked:

Q1. Is [the baby's] [(name)'s] mother of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?

Q2. Is [the baby's] [(name)'s] mother of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?

and

Q1. Is [the baby's] [(name)'s] father of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?

Q2. Is [the baby's] [(name)'s] father of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?

For interview conducted collections in which the Indigenous Status of more than one person is collected from a household representative, the following question set is recommended:

Q1. Is anyone who (usually lives here) (or) (is visiting here) of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?

• Yes
• No

Q2. Who are they?

Question 3 is asked of each person identified as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin.

Q3. [Are you] [Is (name)] of Aboriginal origin, Torres Strait Islander origin, or both?

• Aboriginal
• Torres Strait Islander
• Both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

The first question is used to sequence out households in which no Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people usually live (or are visiting). The second question is used to identify those usual residents (and visitors) of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin. This approach eliminates the need to repeatedly ask the Indigenous status question of each individual in a household when data are collected on a single household form. It is particularly advantageous when collecting from areas with a large proportion of households with non-Indigenous Australians.

For both self-enumerated collections and interviewer-conducted collections

The Indigenous status question can be used in circumstances where a close relative, friend, or another member of the household is answering on behalf of the subject. It is strongly recommended that the question be asked directly wherever possible.

When the subject person is not present, the person answering for them should be in a position to do so, that is, this person must know the person about whom the question is being asked well and feel confident to provide accurate information about them.

The Indigenous status question must always be asked regardless of data collectors' perceptions based on appearance or other factors.

The Indigenous status question may only be left unanswered in the following circumstances:

• Where the person declined to answer
• Where the question was not able to be asked because the client was unable to communicate or a person who knows the client was not available.

Comments:

The following definition, commonly known as 'The Commonwealth Definition', was given in a High Court judgement in the case of Commonwealth v Tasmania (1983) 46 ALR 625.

'An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is a person of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent who identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as such by the community in which he or she lives'.

There are three components to the Commonwealth definition:

• descent;
• self-identification; and
• community acceptance.

In practice, it is not feasible to collect information on the community acceptance part of this definition in general purpose statistical and administrative collections and therefore standard questions on Indigenous status relate to descent and self-identification only.

An Aboriginal person as defined by the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW) is a person who:
* is a member of the Aboriginal race of Australia
* identifies as an Aboriginal person; and
* is accepted by the Aboriginal community in which the person lives

A Torres Strait Islander person as defined in section 7 of the Torres Strait Islander Land Act 1991 (QLD) is a person who is a descendant of an Indigenous inhabitant of the Torres Strait Islands. 
A person is identified as Torres Strait Islander if:
* They are an Torres Strait Islander person of Torres Strait Islander descent
* They identify as being Torres Strait Islander; and
* They are accepted as such by the community in which they live.