“The Other One Was Half and Half, Half-Caste”: A Qualitative Exploration of Colonial Narratives Used to Represent Aboriginal Children by Non-Indigenous Foster Carers in Australia

Since colonisation in Australia, dominant western narratives have continually undermined the identity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Through a lens of subaltern theory, this article explores how Aboriginal children, their families, and their communities are spoken for and about as members of subaltern communities by non-Indigenous foster carers. The findings reveal how the narratives of foster carers can continue to perpetuate colonial harms, undermining the cultural identity, connectedness, and wellbeing of Aboriginal children living away from their kin, families, and communities in out-of-home care. To stem this erosion of culture, and the continued silencing of Aboriginal voices, a true commitment to safeguarding children’s cultural connectedness and placing children in accordance with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principles must be prioritised.