There are now 6320 couples in Sydney who call themselves indigenous, while in the Northern Territory, including Darwin, there are 6542 indigenous couples. Nearly 88 per cent of those couples in Sydney who nominate themselves as indigenous comprise an Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal partner. In the Northern Territory outside Darwin, the situation is almost exactly the reverse - more than 86 per cent of indigenous couples are both Aborigines. When people join together as couples it is inevitable that there will be a degree of integration of lifestyles and cultural practices. However, Dr Birrell says indigenous identity will not necessarily weaken through out-marriage.
Identity formation is a social rather than a biological process.
According to a leading demographer, Dr Charles Price, six out of 10 Australians are now ethnically mixed, while one-fifth have at least four distinct ancestries. Further, the percentage of mixed marriages is rising faster than marriages within any national group, and the fastest rising overall group is the one with people of mixed ethnic origin. The Age Company Ltd 2000. Any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited.