The Oxford American Children's Encyclopedia, Second Edition

Aborigines

The Aborigines are the original inhabitants of Australia. They were given that name by the first European settlers, who arrived there in the late 18th century. Aborigines have lived in Australia for a long time. Scientists have found stone tools and rock paintings made by Aborigines that are 45,000 years old.

The Aborigines probably moved southward from Asia to Australia, island-hopping in their canoes. They spread over the country in large family groups known as tribes. The tribes developed varied customs and many different languages. However, all the Aborigines tried to live in harmony with the land. They hunted animals and gathered plants, moving about within their own traditional community lands.

The Aborigines’ beliefs

The first European explorers and settlers thought the Aborigines were primitive because they had no permanent settlements. However, the Aborigines were very skilled at living off the land. They worshipped the land because they believed the spirits of their ancestors had created its features back in a period they called the Dreamtime. They held ceremonies at places made sacred by visits from the ancestral spirits. They acted out songs and danced stories about the Dreamtime.

Effects of European settlement

When Europeans began to settle in Australia , conflicts with the Aborigines soon began. The Aborigines resented the settlers taking over their land, especially the sacred sites. The settlers destroyed the Aborigines’ hunting grounds and killed them in large numbers. Aborigines also suffered from diseases, carried to Australia by Europeans, to which they had no resistance.

The Aboriginal population has been greatly reduced since European settlement, and most Aborigines have lost their traditional way of life. Sacred sites have been lost and native languages have largely died out.

Aborigines today

Many Aborigines now live in big cities, or on the fringes of country towns. They prefer to be known as Kooris. Individuals and groups are working hard to maintain their own identity. After years of campaigning, laws that were intended to wipe out their culture have been reversed. Some Aboriginal sacred sites are being returned to their original owners and their Aboriginal names are being restored.

Citation: "Aborigines" The Oxford American Children's Encyclopedia, Second Edition, Facts For Learning. http://factsforlearning.2facts.com

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