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| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples | |
|---|---|
| Name | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples |
| Regions | Australia |
| Population | Over 900,000 (2021 Census) |
| Languages | Hundreds of Australian Aboriginal languages; Torres Strait Creole; Kala Lagaw Ya; Meriam Mir |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the First Peoples of the Australian continent and surrounding islands, comprising diverse Indigenous nations with distinct languages, laws and cultural practices. Their communities span territories from the Cape York Peninsula to the Tasman Sea and include maritime peoples of the Torres Strait Islands and mainland groups across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory. Contemporary recognition and rights involve interactions with institutions such as the High Court of Australia, the Australian Parliament, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, and the Native Title Act 1993.
Terminology varies by community and context, with preferences for terms like Indigenous Australian, Aborigine (contested), and specific nation names such as Yorta Yorta, Noongar, Arrernte, Gamilaraay, and Kulin. Identity is also expressed through affiliations to cultural entities such as clans, moieties, and named estates recorded in sources like the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and recognized in instruments such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Debates over terminology have been litigated or considered in forums including the High Court of Australia, the Federal Court of Australia, and inquiries by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Pre-contact history is reconstructed from archaeological evidence at sites such as Lake Mungo, Creswell Crags, and the Mungo National Park landscape, and through oral histories maintained by groups like the Tiwi people and Yolŋu. Contact histories include events such as the First Fleet arrival at Port Jackson, frontier conflicts exemplified by incidents like the Myall Creek massacre and the Black War, and governmental policies such as the Aboriginal Protection Act regimes and the Stolen Generations removals that were later examined by the Bringing Them Home report. Judicial milestones include decisions such as Mabo v Queensland (No 2), Wik Peoples v Queensland, and the passage of the Native Title Act 1993 mediating relations between native title claimants and pastoral interests like the Pastoralists and Graziers Association.
Language diversity encompasses families such as Pama–Nyungan, Non-Pama–Nyungan, and regional tongues including Kriol, Kala Lagaw Ya, and Meriam Mir, with preservation and revival efforts supported by bodies like the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and university programs at institutions such as the University of Sydney and the Australian National University. Cultural practices include art styles associated with movements and places like Papunya Tula, Arnhem Land, Tiwi art, and performers and creators represented by galleries such as the National Gallery of Australia and festivals such as the Barunga Festival and Garma Festival. Ceremonial practices such as corroboree, songlines recorded in narratives like the Dreaming of groups including Warlpiri and Arrernte, and customary law systems have been documented in ethnographies by researchers linked to museums such as the South Australian Museum and the Museum of Australia.
Social organisation includes kinship systems exemplified by the Wurundjeri and Kuku Yalanji, governance structures such as land councils like the Northern Land Council and Central Land Council, and representative bodies including the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT. Political mobilization has taken forms through campaigns like the 1967 Australian referendum, the 1966 Wave Hill walk-off led by Vincent Lingiari, and contemporary advocacy groups including Change the Date and the Uluru Statement from the Heart movement, which engages with institutions such as the Referendum Council and the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
Health outcomes and services are shaped by organizations such as Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, the Menzies School of Health Research, and programs under the National Indigenous Australians Agency, with disparities highlighted in reports by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Productivity Commission. Education initiatives involve partnerships with the Department of Education (Australia), tertiary providers including the University of Melbourne and Griffith University, and targeted programs such as the Closing the Gap framework. Socioeconomic issues encompass housing challenges documented by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, employment programs involving the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation, and justice disparities examined by bodies such as the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
Legal recognition has been advanced through landmark cases like Mabo v Queensland (No 2), Wik Peoples v Queensland, and mechanisms established by the Native Title Act 1993, with claimant groups represented by legal services such as the Northern Land Council and the Central Land Council. Land rights campaigns include the Tent Embassy protest, the Wave Hill walk-off, and negotiated outcomes such as Indigenous Protected Areas listed with the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment. Constitutional and treaty debates engage institutions like the Referendum Council, state-level treaty processes in Victoria and Queensland, and proposals for recognition considered by the Australian Law Reform Commission.
Contemporary representation occurs across media and arts through figures and institutions such as David Unaipon, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Albert Namatjira, Tracey Moffatt, Gurrumul, Baker Boy, Yothu Yindi, and organizations like the BlakDance collective, the National Indigenous Television service, and the Stolen Generations memorial projects. Sporting and public achievements include athletes from clubs such as the Australian Football League and honours such as the Order of Australia awarded to leaders including Eddie Mabo and Lowitja O'Donoghue. Ongoing cultural production is visible in institutions like the National Museum of Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and festivals such as Vivid Sydney collaborations that foreground living traditions and contemporary innovation.