The Traditional Custodians Of This Land

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Australian Aboriginal culture is the longest continuous culture on the planet with evidence of its existence over 60,000 years ago. Long before European settlement, Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders lived in harmony with the land and had contact with seafaring traders and fishermen perhaps as early as the 1500s.

Australian history books tell us English Captain, James Cook “discovered” the continent in 1770 and claimed ownership for Britain. Eight years later, the first boats arrived in Sydney Cove carrying soldiers and convicts to set up a penal colony.

Aboriginal people suffered greatly as a result of settlement. They were decimated by disease for which they had no immunity. Many were driven from their land, hunted and killed. The massacre of men, women and children went largely unpunished during colonization. Any reports that were written tended to demonized the natives.

Most people are shocked to learn that Aborigines were not counted as people, let alone citizens in their own country until 1949. They began, depending on the laws in their state or territory, to be eligible to vote at this time too. A referendum in 1967 deemed that they could be counted in the population and gave the federal parliament the power to pass special laws that related to them.

Until 1969, attempts to assimilate the Indigenous population into white Australia saw 100,000 children forcibly separated from their parents, their language and their culture. However, “Aboriginal culture has not been lost – just disrupted” (Tyson Kaawoppa Yunkaporta). Efforts to revive some of the 250 languages of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are brining a renewed sense of identity, respect and better educational outcomes.

Today, despite continuing to experience disadvantage in many areas such as health, education and employment and the impact of racism, there is a growing respect for the contribution of Indigenous people in Australia.

In sport, arts, education and public service, Aboriginal people have a proud history and strong role models. They have born injustice and inequality with dignity and resilience. Their ancient and diverse cultures value community, respect elders, nurture children and revere the natural environment. They are the traditional custodians of this land.

The National Aborigines and Islander Day Observance Committee brings us celebrations and activities to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

References

NAIDOC http://www.naidoc.org.au

Janak Rogers When Islam Came To Australia. BBC News Magazine

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27260027

Wikipedia: Australian referendum 1967

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_referendum,_1967_(Aboriginals)

Creative Spirit Famous Aboriginal Athletes.

http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/sport/famous-aboriginal-athletes

ABC Interactive Language Map

http://www.abc.net.au/indigenous/map/

Yunkaporta, T. (2010) Our ways of learning in Aboriginal languages. In Hobson, J. Lowe, K. Walsh, M. (editors) Re-Awakening Languages, Theory and practice in the revitalization of Australia’s Indigenous languages. Sydney University Press