The Aborigines are among the first inhabitants of Australia.
They would have come from Asia more than 40,000 years ago. These semi-nomadic tribes have developed a culture of their own: They live by hunting, gathering and fishing in groups. However, the Aborigines remain one of the populations suffering injustices in their territory. It was only in 2008, after three centuries of repression and land granting, that Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered a speech of repentance and forgiveness to Aboriginal people. Today they represent 3% of the population.[1]
Definition:
The common name “aborigine” comes from the Latin ab origin, which means “from the origin”. It is the English translation of the French „natives“. It more generally designates a population descending from the first known inhabitants of its native land.
Some Aboriginal groups in the deserts of western and central Australia refer to themselves by the word „Aṉangu“, which means „human“ or „people“.
Long referred to as „the Blacks“ by European settlers, Aborigines have only been registered as Australian citizens since 1967. Today, from the perspective of the Government of Australia, the term „Aborigine“ refers to a person who fulfills these three criteria:
– having aboriginal ancestry;
– self-identify as Aboriginal;
– be recognized as such by the Aboriginal community.
Officially, a term such as “partly aboriginal” means nothing: one is aboriginal or one is not. Skin color is not a criterion and some Aborigines have very light skin, while some of their ancestors were black. The same definition applies to natives of the Torres Strait.[2]
This Australian definition is very different from the American definition, according to which an African-American is anyone with an African-American ancestor, whether or not they recognize and claim it, and whether or not they are recognized as such by other Afro-Americans.
History
Most specialists estimate that the Australian Aborigines would have reached Australia or, to be precise, the “Sahul” protocontinent, between 40,000 and 50,000 years ago, during the ice age.[3]
Prehistorians claim that the first inhabitants came from the Sunda, a protocontinent that included Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
Immigrants likely landed on the North Coast by boat, it is unclear whether these were makeshift rafts or elaborate vessels.
We also do not know the purpose of their arrival: were they castaways, exiles or explorers?
The hypothesis of arrivals in successive waves has never been confirmed. Be that as it may, Mungo Man, a homo sapiens discovered near a lake in New South Wales, remains the oldest human fossil known to date in Australia, and is believed to be dated to around 40,000 years old.
Culture
Pitjantjatjara or Walpiri in the desert, Djabukay in Queensland, Rembarrnga in Arnhem Land… It is difficult to speak of an Australian „Aboriginal culture“, as the traditional social organization is so complex and varies according to the regions and the environment.
A study has estimated the number of languages spoken in Australia at more than 250 when the British arrived.
A concept is however common: the aboriginal tradition is based on a spirituality linked to the land, the landscape, the fauna and the flora referring to the dawn of the creation of the world.
According to the beliefs of the Aborigines, rocks, hills, lakes bear the imprint left by the creative spirits. The story of each creative ancestor is part of a geographical itinerary that may cross paths with others.[4]
This religious philosophy is generally translated as the “Dreamtime”. The ritual ceremonies of the aborigines, songs, dances and body paintings, maintain the link between the world of the living and that of the ancestors: it is a question of perpetuating the creative episodes and transmitting them to young adults.
Among the salient features of Aboriginal culture, painting has an important place whether it is rock art, on the ground, on wood or, more recently, on fabric.
A popular emblem of Aboriginal culture, the didgeridoo, a wooden wind instrument, was created in the Stone Age (20,000 years).
The traditional armament consisted of shields, spears projected by a propellant (woomera) and boomerangs.
Kriol, an English creole which developed at the beginning of the 20th century, is today the first language of the Aborigines.
Endangered:
Today, Aboriginal people are still not fully integrated into Australian society. They can be classified into three categories:[5]
– Those who have integrated into society and now live in a Western way
– Those who are in reserves lost in the outback and who still live more or less as before; they are increasingly rare
– Those who live near cities, but who do not work, live on the streets, and very often suffer from alcoholism problems.
The condition of the Aborigines and the means of helping them are still today a very complex and sensitive subject in Australia.
[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Australian-Aboriginal
[2] https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Publications_Archive/CIB/cib0203/03Cib10
[3] https://www.aboriginalheritage.org/history/history/
[4] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/aboriginal-australians
