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The economic rationalist values of neo-liberalism are the foundation of our Western social systems and, as authors have noted, the advocates of this ideology believe it to be the panacea for all of our social ills and problems. The success of this ideology, however, is yet to be supported and there is a growing awareness of the myth of neo-liberal capitalist ideals of sustained economic growth. This paper will argue that higher education is a core avenue for critical reflection of neo-liberalism and education for social change towards holistic sustainability and that the current attempts to impose neo-liberalist values through solely vocationally aimed degrees undermines and oppresses this opportunity. The focus of this discussion will look at how outdoor leisure, through outdoor learning degree courses in higher education, may provide a forum for raising awareness and understanding of knowledges on alternative ideologies to neo-liberalism, particularly those with more pro-environmental foundations. In doing so, it is posited that outdoor leisure can be utilized as the mechanism for providing practical opportunities for critical reflection on neo-liberalism, and for education on holistically sustainable social and cultural systems in higher education curricula.

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This article examines the issues surrounding the involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) peoples in leisure programs, with a particular emphasis on outdoor recreation and education. First, the social and personal issues, and the reasons provided for these issues in many ATSI communities, are reviewed. This is followed by a discussion of a contradiction in the term 'Indigenous outdoor recreation and education (ORE) programs' and a brief 2 critique of the Western Outdoor recreation and education context in which these programs are placed. Finally, ways in which education by, and for, ATSI peoples through the ORE medium could contribute to a future society with a heightened acceptance and respect for cultural diversity and environmentalism, are also discussed.