Indigenous Australians: Australians First People - Assignment Example

Introduction Indigenous Australians refer to the original people who form the group of earliest inhabitants of the continent Australia as well as those who live in the islands near the Australian continent (Berks, 2009). The main distinction of the indigenous Australians is made between the Strait Torres Islanders and the Aboriginal people who collectively make up to 3% of the population in Australia. The Torres Islanders are common in the Torres Islands in the northern part of the Australia in Queensland (Berks, 2009). The aboriginal are the original mainland inhabitants. They comprise of indigenous people in Tasmania, Australia and inhabitants of the islands adjacent to mainland Australia and Tasmania. Different communities in Australia and particularly the indigenous people have diverse features which characterize their languages, customs and cultures. Before the first European settlement in Australia, it is estimated that more than 300 languages with more than 500 dialects existed in Australia (Bowen, 1996). However, in contemporary Australia only 150 of the diverse languages still exist. Amazingly, it is also estimated that more than 100 of the languages are endangered today long after the European invasion of Australia (Australian Museum: link provided). One reason for this is that even the aboriginal people whose language was well preserved before European settlement in Australia speak English today with their own words and phrases added into the English language to form a new type of English referred to as the Australian Aboriginal English (Flood, 1983). The focus of this paper is to explore how the life and times of the indigenous Australians changed from before the arrival of First Fleet up to the present time. Main themes presented in Australian museum The five main themes presented in the Australian museum include spirituality (dreaming), heritage and culture, the land, family and social justice. Spirituality (dreaming) Indigenous Australians take their spiritual matters as comprising of diverse forms. However, the practices and forms of spirituality observed by the indigenous Australians have been impacted and influenced largely by present and past colonialism practices. For the Aboriginal people, dreaming is part and parcel of their spiritual lives and it has several meanings. It is perceived as an intricate network of practices, faith and knowledge that originate from creation stories (Flood, 1990). In this perspective, dreaming is viewed as one aspect that dominates the physical and spiritual features that make up the life of the aboriginal people. Dreaming is also the central aspects that streamline the life of the Aboriginal people because it outlines the societal structures, the social behaviour rules and the practices that need to be carried out to give life to the entire land occupied by the indigenous people (Flood, 1990). Dreaming also played an important part in streaming out the behaviours of the people. It was understood as the one of the methods that governed the manner in which people should behave and live and subsequently, it was accompanied by punishment for those who failed to follow the rules set out through dreams. Dreamtime or dreaming among the indigenous Australians as presented in the Australian museum described the period or the time when animals, human and earth were created (Keen, 1997). Dreaming was characterised by the appearance of the ancestral spirits who came back to the earth and performed the functions of creating plants, animals and landforms. Stories associated with dreaming hold that ancestral spirits appeared on earth and moved on the earth’s surface creating mountains, lakes and rivers. Dreaming was thus viewed as originating from the land and in the Australian’s indegous societies such as the aboriginal society, land was not owned by the people and hence every individual in the community had a duty to protect the land (Keen, 1997). Hence, dreaming among the indigenous Australian communities is one of the central themes to the present time and it must be cared for and maintained as a cultural heritage of the indigenous Australian people. Heritage and culture As presented in the Australian museum the cultures of the indigenous people in Australia are the world’s oldest cultures (Keen, 1997). The flexibility and ability of the cultures to fit into the changes that came into the communities after the European settlement is one of the main reason why the Australian cultures are regarded as the world’s oldest (Keen, 1997). To ensure that their cultures remain alive indigenous Australians pass the skills and knowledge of rituals, arts and performances through different generations. They also emphasize on teaching and speak their own indigenous languages rather than dwelling on the foreign languages such as English. In addition, they preserve their culture and heritage by protecting sacred and cultural property as well as objects and sites perceived as significant to the cultural heritage of the indigenous people (Flood, 1983). The land Land was not owned by individuals among the indigenous Australian people. Rather it was the collective responsibility of the people to protect it because it was perceived as a gift from the ancestral spirits who created it and everything that appeared on the land (Flood, 1983). Land was also interconnected to the dreamtime and during dreamtime ancestral spirits created the land. Hence, land was central to the proper functioning of the indigenous Australian communities. The family The Strait Torres Islanders and the aboriginal people have family systems characterised by complex relations. Individuals in the complex systems understand their land and kin. As presented in the Australian museum, the elders in the Australian indigenous families represent the bridge through which the young ones can access the past and also reach the future. In this respect, elders in the families are regarded as respectable people who deserve the highest levels of treatment in the land (Flood, 1983). Units making families are extended and large particularly in the Aboriginal community. Strong values that unite families among the aboriginal people are rarely understood or endorsed by the government (Flood, 1983). Children are perceived as fruits of the society and not fruits of individual and thus every individual in the society has a duty to protect the children. This includes the care, raising, discipline and education of the children which is regarded as the responsibility of every person old and young. Social justice Among the indigenous communities in Australia social justice as presented in the Australian museum refers to the issues that face the people particularly in the morning. Among such issues include adequate supply of water, sanitation and cooking facilities. The denial of these basic aspects of life consists of social injustice while the provision of these services consists of social justice (Flood, 1983). Impact of invasion and settlement on the Aboriginal people As seen above, the aboriginal people were characterised by a rich cultural heritage. However, one of the impact of invasion and settlement of people particularly from the European countries on the aboriginal land is that the rich cultural heritage of the Aboriginal people has eroded drastically (Flood, 1983). From the previous points above, it was indicated that originally more than 300 indigenous languages existed in Australia. However, after the assimilation into Europeans ways of life these languages have reduced dramatically to less than 200 languages. It is imperative to note that the First Fleet took place in 1788 and this marked the arrival of the British colonialism in Australia (Swain, 1993). The second and immediate impact of this invasion was the rise of tuberculosis, measles and small pox which were originally unheard of among the indigenous Australians. The repercussions were detrimental because many indigenous Australians lost their lives. The third impact of the invasion which lasted in the 19th and 20th century was appropriation and division of the land where traditional respected land was converted for cattle and sheep grazing by individuals as opposed to the traditional practices which regarded land as the community property (Swain,1993). Introduction of education and western practices alienated and have continued to erode the indigenous cultures and traditions of the indigenous Australians with English being introduced into the indigenous languages to form new forms of English language. Struggle for rights and freedoms during the 20th century The period between 1960s and early 1970s was instrumental in the agitation for the rights of the Aboriginal people. This was the time when the struggle for the rights of and freedoms of the Aboriginal people was heightened (Flood, 1983). In 1962, the legislation by the commonwealth gave the voting rights to the Aboriginal people. Vincent Lingari, was the earliest rights activist who contributed significantly to the restoration of the better working conditions and a favourable pay for the indigenous employees after leading a walk-off from the Wavehill Station (Swain, 1993). The struggle for rights and freedoms of the indigenous people led to the institution of laws that sought to respect indigenous communities. This included inclusion of the aboriginal people in population census. Harold Holt, the Australian Prime minister, was the instrumental figure in this process after calling for a referendum to amend the laws to include the aboriginal people in the country’s affairs. In this perspective, the freedoms and rights of the Aboriginal people changed drastically in the 20th century as a result of policies modifications which instituted new treatments and status of citizenships among the Aboriginal people (Flood, 1983). In 1905 the Aborigines Act was instituted which gave the authority to the Chief Protector to protect the health, movement, employment and educational rights of the Aboriginals people. In the 1990s, the struggle for freedoms and rights of the Aborigines continued and in 1993 the Native Title Act was instituted (Keen, 1997). The act permitted the claim of the land Crown as long as the Aborigines proofed their relation with the land they claimed. Compensation was also instituted for all the Aborigines who lost their land. Among the aboriginal people who have brought an awareness of their culture to the forefront of society include sportspeople such as Cathy Freeman who hailed from the Aboriginal community and won a 2000 gold medal in the Sydney summer Olympics (Keen, 1997). Wyatt Ken was also instrumental in bringing important legislations that sought to respect the rights and freedoms of the Aboriginal people after being elected in 2010 as the first house representative from the aboriginal community (Keen, 1997). Musicians such as Gurrumu Geoffrey have also been instrumental in bringing the awareness of the culture of the Aborigines in the forefront of the society due to his popular Yolngu music (Flood, 1983). An artist such as William Barack was also instrumentals in bringing an awareness of the culture of the Aborigines in the forefront of the society with his popular artistic works that depicted the traditions of the Aboriginal people. Resources Australian Museum. Retrieved from, 2009. http://australianmuseum.net.au/Indigenous-Australia-Social-Justice Bowen, G. Culture Shock: a prehistory of the Magela Floodplain, Kakadu National Park. NTU Thesis: Darwin, 1996. Berks, F. Sacred Ecology: traditional ecological knowledge and resource management. Taylor & Francis: Ann Arbor, USA, 2009. Flood, J. The Riches of Ancient Australia: A Journey into Pre-history. University of Queensland Press: St Lucia, 1990. Flood, J. Archaeology of the Dreamtime. Collins: Sydney, 1983. Swain, T. A Place for Strangers: towards a history of Australian Aboriginal being. Cambridge University Press: Melbourne, 1993. Keen, I. Knowledge and Secrecy in an Aboriginal Religion. Oxford University Press: Melbourne, 1997. 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