Rights and Freedom

Mission

A mission was a settlement established by Christian churches or missionaries with the goal of converting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Christianity and encouraging them to adopt European customs, language and ways of life.

Reserve

An area of land set aside by the government where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were forced to live, often with strict controls over their movement work, and cultural practices

Dreaming

The spiritual beliefs and creation stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples that explain how the world, land, and laws came to be. It connects people to their ancestors, land and culture.

Assimilation 1937-67

A government policy that aimed to absorb Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples into white society by discouraging their culture and forcing them to adopt European ways of life.

Dispossession

The act of taking away someone’s land, belongings or rights. For indigenous Australians, it meant being removed from their traditional lands and losing connection to culture and Country.