Library Guides: Indigenous Australians: Overview

Source: Black, S. (2020).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website may contain images and voices of deceased people.

Don't forget to cite and reference your sources. For help see the Junior School or Senior School referencing guides, and / or CiteMaker.

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Brief, basic information laid out in an easy-to-read format. May use informal language. (Includes most news articles)

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Provides additional background information and further reading. Introduces some subject-specific language.

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Lengthy, detailed information. Frequently uses technical/subject-specific language. (Includes most analytical articles)

Quick Links

Indigenous Australians | Overview: Keywords

Click on the terms to access a simple definition from Lexico, the online Oxford Dictionary.

Aboriginal, Country, Dreaming, Elders; First Nations; Indigenous Australians; Mob; NAIDOC; Reconciliation, Songlines, Sorry Day; Stolen Generation; Torres Strait Islander; Traditional custodians

Please try to use the correct terms when writing about indigenous Australians. Use of wrong, or out-of-date, terms can cause offense to Indigenous Australians. See also:

Pathways thesaurus for Indigenous languages and people
The pathways thesaurus for Indigenous languages and people is maintained by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

Indigenous Australians | Overview: Articles

Australian Aboriginal peoples (Britannica Middle, n.d.)
"Aboriginal peoples were the first people to live in Australia. Together with the Torres Strait Islander peoples, they are known as Indigenous Australians." (“Australian Aboriginal peoples”, n.d.)
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Reference / citation: “Australian Aboriginal peoples”, (n.d.) or (“Australian Aboriginal peoples”, n.d.)
Reference list / Bibliography: Australian Aboriginal peoples. (n.d.). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://bt-libproxy.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au/levels/middle/article/Australian-Aboriginal-peoples/272686

Australian Aboriginal peoples (Britannica High, n.d.)
"Australian Aboriginal peoples, one of the two distinct groups of Indigenous peoples of Australia, the other being the Torres Strait Islander peoples... It has long been conventionally held that Australia is the only continent where the entire Indigenous population maintained a single kind of adaptation—hunting and gathering—into modern times. Some scholars now argue, however, that there is evidence of the early practice of both agriculture and aquaculture by Aboriginal peoples." (“Australian Aboriginal peoples”, n.d.)
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Reference / citation: “Australian Aboriginal peoples”, (n.d.) or (“Australian Aboriginal peoples”, n.d.)
Reference list / Bibliography: Australian Aboriginal peoples. (n.d.). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://bt-libproxy.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au/levels/high/article/Australian-Aboriginal-peoples/394920
Torres Strait Islander peoples (Britannica High, n.d.)
"Torres Strait Islander peoples, one of Australia’s two distinct Indigenous cultural groups, the other being the Aboriginal peoples... Torres Strait Islander persons are individuals who are descended from Torres Strait Islander persons, who self-identify as Torres Strait Islander persons, or who have been recognized as Torres Strait Islander persons by their own community." ("Torres Strait Islander peoples”, n.d.)
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Reference / citation: "Torres Strait Islander peoples”, (n.d.) or ("Torres Strait Islander peoples”, n.d.)
Reference list / Bibliography: Torres Strait Islander peoples. (n.d.). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://bt-libproxy.mentonegirls.vic.edu.au/levels/high/article/Torres-Strait-Islander-peoples/629669

Indigenous Australians | Overview: eBooks

Click on the following book covers to place a hold in the library catalogue or access the book online. If prompted, sign in with your School mConnect user name and password.

Indigenous Australia for Dummies [eBook] by Larissa Behrendt; Malcolm Fraser (Foreword by)
ISBN: 9781742169637
Publication Date: 2013-08-19
A comprehensive, relevant, and accessible look at all aspects of Indigenous Australian history and culture What is The Dreaming? How many different Indigenous tribes and languages once existed in Australia? What is the purpose of a corroboree? What effect do the events of the past have on Indigenous peoples today? Indigenous Australia For Dummies answers these questions and countless others about the oldest race on Earth. It explores Indigenous life in Australia before 1770, the impact of white settlement, the ongoing struggle by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to secure their human rights and equal treatment under the law, and much more. Celebrating the contributions of Indigenous people to contemporary Australian culture, the book explores Indigenous art, music, dance, literature, film, sport, and spirituality. It discusses the concept of modern Indigenous identity and examines the ongoing challenges facing Indigenous communities today, from health and housing to employment and education, land rights, and self-determination.
Indigenous Rights: Issues in Society by Healey, Justin
ISBN: 9781922084330
Publication Date: 2014
There is still much to be done to close the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and the rest of the population in terms of social and economic development, culture, land, education, health, justice and human rights. This book looks at the progress of key rights issues confronting Australia's indigenous peoples, including historical civil rights milestones; land rights and native title; Reconciliation and the apology to the Stolen Generations; indigenous governance and self-determination; and constitutional recognition. Indigenous Rights also examines the government policy aimed at closing the gap in health and life expectancy, and human rights concerns over the ongoing federal intervention in Northern Territory communities. How should this nation right the wrongs visited upon the first Australians?
Indigenous Australian Cultures (eBooks) by Mary Colson
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9781432973933
Publication Date: 2012
Indigenous Australian Culture covers a vast array of subjects on Indigenous Australian culture -- from fine arts to ceremonies, from legends to the culture's global influence.

Original Australians: The Story of the Aboriginal People [eBook] by Josephine Flood
ISBN: 9781760871420
Publication Date: 2019
Everything you'd like to know about Aboriginal Australia past and present, presented in an accessible, authoritative and straightforward style. An updated edition of a national bestseller.

Aboriginal Victorians: A History Since 1800 [eBook] by Richard Broome
ISBN: 9781741154849
Publication Date: 2005
Early settlers saw Victoria and its rolling grasslands as Australia felix happy south land a prize left for Englishmen by God. However, for its original inhabitants this country was home and life, not to be relinquished without a fierce struggle. Richard Broome tells the story of the impact of European ideas, guns, killer microbes and a pastoral economy on the networks of kinship, trade and cultures that various Aboriginal peoples of Victoria had developed over millennia. From first settlement to the present, he shows how Aboriginal families have coped with ongoing disruption and displacement, and how individuals and groups have challenged the system. With painful stories of personal loss as well as many successes, Broome outlines how Aboriginal Victorians survived near decimation to become a vibrant community today.
A Concise Companion to Aboriginal History by Malcolm Prentis
ISBN: 9781921719035
Publication Date: 2011
This book is an overview of Australian Aboriginal history, from creation stories involving the Dreaming through to Aboriginal cultural and political activity in the 21st century. Alphabetically arranged entries include biographies, historical events, pioneering work by anthropologists, historical controversies, literature, sport, and a number of social issues. The book covers all regions of Australia and the Torres Strait Islands. It includes photographs, maps, population tables, a chronology, and bibliography.
Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture [eBook] by Pascoe, Bruce
ISBN: 9781921248016
Publication Date: 2018
‘Dark Emu injects a profound authenticity into the conversation about how we Australians understand our continent... [It is] essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what Australia once was, or what it might yet be if we heed the lessons of long and sophisticated human occupation.'Judges for 2016 NSW Premier's Literary Awards Dark Emu puts forward an argument for a reconsideration of the hunter-gatherer tag for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians. The evidence insists that Aboriginal people right across the continent were using domesticated plants, sowing, harvesting, irrigating, and storing — behaviours inconsistent with the hunter-gatherer tag. Gerritsen and Gammage in their latest books support this premise but Pascoe takes this further and challenges the hunter-gatherer tag as a convenient lie. Almost all the evidence in Dark Emu comes from the records and diaries of the Australian explorers, impeccable sources.
No Small Change: The Road to Recognition for Indigenous Australia [eBook] by Frank Brennan; Patricia Turner (Foreword by)
ISBN: 9780702253324
Publication Date: 2015
What lessons have been learned from the 1967 referendum? In 1967, Australians voted overwhelmingly in favour of altering two aspects of the Constitution that related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Although these seemed like small amendments, they provided an impetus for real change - from terra nullius to land rights, and from assimilation to self-determination. Over 50 years later, there is a groundswell of support for our indigenous heritage to be formally recognised in the Constitution.

Indigenous Australians | Overview: Online resources

Deadly Story This link opens in a new window
Deadly Story aims to support Aboriginal children and young people to grow in their knowledge of; Who you are, who you belong to, where you belong, where you come from, what you do, what you believe, what symbolises your Aboriginal culture.
Deadly questions Aboriginal Q&A database This link opens in a new window
You ask. Victorian Aboriginals answer.

"Deadly Questions is an opportunity to learn about Aboriginal Victorians – their histories, cultures, connection to place and hopes for the future.... Many people have never engaged with these questions. Maybe it’s embarrassing to admit this, so it’s easier to hold back on asking. Some people fear offending or simply have no-one to ask... Learn [directly] from Aboriginal Victorians about the oldest continuous cultures on earth. Here you can explore Aboriginal cultures, histories, ideas, opinions and Treaty in Victoria." (Aboriginal Victoria, n.d.)

A statistical overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2016)
"This collection of statistics has been chosen to highlight the current situation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, (hereon Indigenous peoples) across a range of indicators including: health; education; employment; housing; and contact with criminal justice and welfare systems." (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2016)
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Reference / citation: Australian Human Rights Commission (2016) or (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2016)
Reference list / Bibliography: Australian Human Rights Commission. (2016). A statistical overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. Retrieved from https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/statistica l-overview-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-p eoples-australia

AIATSIS Collections This link opens in a new window
AIATSIS holds the world's largest collection dedicated to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories. Search Mura® for manuscript, books, serials, photographic, and audiovisual materials. The Art and Object collection includes drawings, paintings, textiles, weavings, woodcarvings, and mixed-media objects. AUSTLANG provides information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.
IndigenousX This link opens in a new window
@IndigenousX ams to create a media landscape where Australian Indigenous people can share their knowledge, opinions and experiences with a wide audience across the world. (@IndigenousX, n.d.)

Indigenous Australians | Overview: Videos

To view these video on campus remember to first login to your school Google account using your mConnect username and password. Click here for more help on using YouTube on campus.

In May 2017, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, coming from all points of the southern sky, made the Uluru Statement From The Heart. Building on decades of activism in pursuit of constitutional reform and self-determination, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples reached out to the nation in a heartful effort to create a movement for a better future. An experienced independent management consultant, Dean has worked across the public, corporate, not-for-profit and political sectors... Dean is from the Quandamooka peoples from Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) in Queensland. He was involved in the negotiations leading to a Native Title determination in 2011 and continues to work with his community on this journey. (TEDxCanberra, 2018)

Source

When using this video don't forget to cite and reference your sources. For more information and help see the Kerferd Library referencing guide and / or CiteMaker.
In text reference / citation: Parkin (2018) or (Parkin , 2018)
Bibliography / Reference list: Parkin, D. (2018). The Uluru Statement From The Heart - an idea whose time has come, [eVideo]. https://youtu.be/xB-31jD4XcA

Tui can only speak for herself. Join her as she gives her perspective on growing up as an Aboriginal person in city and country Western Australia. In her talk, she will share humorous anecdotes which touch on beauty, identity and language. Tui is a UWA Alumni and Aboriginal cultural advisor. Educated with part-time studies in the school of hard knocks, her list of work experience can be described as a "Jack of all trades" which includes: administrative investigator, observational evidence gatherer, project officer, Indigenous policymaker, artist, carpenter and cocktail maker. She is also a linguist-in-training and although she is a frustrated linguaphile who speaks only one language fluently, she has a passion for all languages and keeping home languages alive.(Raven, 2018)

Source

When using this video don't forget to cite and reference your sources. For more information and help see the Kerferd Library referencing guide and / or CiteMaker.

In text reference / citation: Raven (2018) or (Raven, 2018)
Bibliography / Reference list: Raven, T., (2018). What Is It Like To Be Aboriginal? [eVideo] TEDxUWA. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/9y1T3JfzRGE

Indigenous Australians | Overview: Curriculum alignment

This Mentone Girls' Grammar School Library guide supports the following Australian and / or Victorian curriculum outcomes.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures [ACCP]
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are strong, rich and diverse. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Identity is intrinsically linked to living, learning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, deep knowledge traditions and holistic world view.
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These national priorities have been defined by The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). They may include local, regional or global issues.
Ethical understanding [Australian General Capability.7]
Exploring ethical issues and interactions with others, discuss ideas, and being accountable as members of a democratic community.
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The Australian General Capability is the national vocabulary identifying important general capabilities that schools should help students develop, in addition to content of particular learning areas. (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, n.d.)
Intercultural understanding [Australian General Capability.6]
The capacity to process or reflect on the meaning of experience is an essential element in intercultural learning. Reflecting to better understand the actions of individuals and groups in specific situations and how these are shaped by culture. Reflecting on their own responses to intercultural encounters and to identify cultural influences that may have contributed to these. Learning to ‘stand between cultures’ and mediate cultural difference.
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The Australian General Capability is the national vocabulary identifying important general capabilities that schools should help students develop, in addition to content of particular learning areas. (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, n.d.)
Social awareness [Australian General Capability.53]
Perceiving and understanding other people’s emotions and viewpoints, and showing understanding and empathy for others. Appreciating and understanding what others are feeling, being able to consider their perspective and interacting positively with diverse groups of people. Interpreting and understanding others’ perspectives, emotional states and needs, which results in inclusive interactions and respect for individual and group differences. Identifying the strengths of team members and defining and accepting individual and group roles and responsibilities.
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The Australian General Capability is the national vocabulary identifying important general capabilities that schools should help students develop, in addition to content of particular learning areas. (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, n.d.)

Indigenous Australians: Overview

Resource Key

LEVEL

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Quick Links

Indigenous Australians | Overview: Keywords

Indigenous Australians | Overview: Articles

Indigenous Australians | Overview: eBooks

Indigenous Australians | Overview: Online resources

You ask. Victorian Aboriginals answer.

Indigenous Australians | Overview: Videos

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Indigenous Australians | Overview: Curriculum alignment