Preliminary Aboriginal Studies Definitions

Prelim Aboriginality & the Land, definitions taken from page 42 glossary of the syllabus

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person is someone who:

• is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent

• identifies themself as an Aboriginal person or Torrest Strait Islander, and

• is accepted as such by the indigenous community in which he or she lives.

Each requirement must be satisfied. It rejects the purely racial classification of the past and includes contemporary social and cultural factors. The term Aboriginal people is more appropriate than Aborigines; part Aboriginal or half-caste are offensive terms.

The term Aboriginal has been preferred within this Syllabus. It is assumed for this course that it is inclusive of the Indigenous people of Australia (see Indigenous peoples).

Aboriginality

Aboriginality includes a combination of cultural heritage, spirituality and an intrinsic link with the land.

assimilation

A 19th-century idea that Aboriginal people should be ‘improved’ by being ‘civilised’ and Christianised. From the 1930s assimilation was government policy.

colonialism

Colonialism is the building and maintenance of colonies in a territory by peoples based elsewhere. As a process of control, colonial powers asserted sovereignty over their colonies by a variety of means, including invasion, declarations of sovereignty and, in some cases, through sustained mass migration. The colonial states imposed new forms of government, legal systems, social structures and economy within these new territories without regard to the wishes of the Indigenous people. Colonialism is associated with the establishment of an unequal relationship between the colonial state and the Indigenous peoples. Colonialism and imperialism are closely associated activities.

Within contemporary post-independence states such as Australia, many Indigenous peoples have asserted that they are the ongoing victims of colonisation, which is manifested in areas such as constitutional arrangements, government policies, and systemic racism that have resulted in poor socioeconomic achievement (see also other terms such as post-colonialism and neocolonialism).

colonisation

A process by which a different system of government is established by one nation over another group of peoples. It involves the colonial power asserting and enforcing its sovereignty or right to govern according to its own laws, rather than by the laws of the colonised.

community

Important elements of a community are Country, family ties and shared experience. Community is about interrelatedness and belonging, and is central to Aboriginality. Aboriginal people may belong to more than one community. The use of community/communities in the syllabus indicates that any one location may in fact consist of several communities.

community-based fieldwork

Field visits to Aboriginal communities or organisations to further develop understanding and knowledge of culture and history of Aboriginal peoples.

contempoary

Within the timeframe from the 1960s to the present.

Country

Aboriginal communities’ cultural associations with their Country may include or relate to languages, cultural practices, knowledge, songs, stories, art, paths, landforms, flora, fauna and minerals. These cultural associations may include custodial relationships with particular landscapes such as land, sea, sky, rivers as well as the intangible places associated with the Dreaming. Custodial relationships are extremely important in determining who may have the capacity to authentically speak for their Country. (NSW DECC)

criminal justice system

The people, processes, institutions and laws associated with the defining, monitoring and enforcement of rules.

cultural genocide

An attempt to destroy all or part of the culture of a people which is the basis of group identity.

cultural heritage

The continuity, from one generation to another, of a group’s culture, values and attitudes, including knowledge, language, arts, rituals, performances, sites and objects.

cultural reclamation and maintenance

The actions of Indigenous people in activating their own agency in the establishment of programs that support contemporary Aboriginal community action to support the re-establishment of a wide variety of social and cultural activities that express their unique Indigenous nature, knowledge, understanding and ethics.

culture

The accepted and traditionally patterned ways of behaving and a set of common understandings shared by the members of a group or community. Includes land, language, ways of living and working, artistic expression, relationship and identity.

customary law

Laws based on traditions and customs (see traditional law).

discrimination

Unfair treatment on the basis of perceived differences between people.

dislocation

The forced movement of an individual, family or community from one area to another. This often occurred after people had been dispossessed of their land (see dispossession).

dispossession

People being taken away or forced from their land, their economic base, their way of life and cultures. Dispossession was experienced by many Aboriginal peoples.

Dreaming

The Dreaming has different meanings for different Aboriginal groups. The Dreaming can be seen as the embodiment of Aboriginal creation which gives meaning to everything; the essence of Aboriginal beliefs about creation and spiritual and physical existence. It establishes the rules governing relationships between the people, the land and all things for Aboriginal peoples. The Dreaming is linked to the past, the present and the future. Where appropriate, refer to Aboriginal names for the Dreaming.

Elders

Elders are custodians of knowledge. They are chosen and accepted by their own communities and are highly respected.

ethical research

Ethical research practices are central to good research process. They have been established to ensure that research is undertaken in appropriate ways so that both the researched and uses of research have faith in how the research was undertaken, and the trustworthiness of its reported outcomes. When working with Aboriginal people, these would include using appropriate protocols and being knowledgeable of the particular concerns that these communities may have when people are being researched (see Indigenous research methodology).

ethnocentrism

The uses of one’s culture as the ideal standard against which all other cultures are judged and (usually) negatively compared.

global perspective

A national and international perspective on issues concerning human rights and social justice for all Indigenous peoples. This perspective will include responses and initiatives of international human rights organisations as well as national Indigenous Australian communities and international Indigenous communities.

human rights

Human rights are those possessed by individuals. They are universal (possessed by all human beings) and are inalienable (they cannot be overridden by the public interest).

identity

The belief in, and acceptance of, who you are as determined by your culture.

Indigenous knowledge

Indigenous knowledge is the accumulative knowledge, ways of seeing and understanding their world, and how this sits inside their notions of the universe. Indigenous knowledge is the particular way that meaning and relationships are constructed and maintained with their physical and spiritual surroundings.

Indigenous peoples

This term is used when referring collectively to the first peoples of the land in international communities. The term Indigenous Australian is used by the commonwealth when referring to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within Australia, The term Aboriginal is preferred by the NSW AECG Inc. when referring to Aboriginal people within NSW. In the context of this course, Aboriginal is the term used.

Indigenous research methodology

Indigenous research methodology is centred on Indigenous ethics, which penetrate all stages of research from the initiation of a research project to knowledge production and dissemination of the research outcomes. Research undertaken through this research methodology are undertaken in partnership with Indigenous people on projects that represent issues or concerns that have been collaboratively decided and developed

international Indigenous community

The international Indigenous community must be drawn from a location where that community has suffered the loss of sovereignty and the ongoing social, cultural, economic and political effects of colonisation.

kinship

A key aspect of Aboriginal cultures and values. It includes the importance of all relationships, and of being related to and belonging to the land.

invasion

The act of forcibly taking over land

land rights

The evolving struggle of Aboriginal and other Indigenous peoples for the absolute legal and moral acknowledgement of prior ownership of their land and recognition of all accompanying rights and obligations which flow from this association. Land Rights (capitalised) refers to the legislation.

language group

Language is linked to particular geographical areas. The term language group is often used in preference to the term ‘tribe’.

local Aboriginal community

The local Aboriginal community is constituted by those people who acknowledge themselves as Aboriginal and who reside in the near locality. Aboriginal communities will have a rich and diverse history that has been seriously affected by dispossession and relations, which sees families with spiritual connection to Country residing beside those who have been forced to move from other locations. The notion of locality is complex and multilayered: schools should seek advice from a range of people and/or organisations representing local interests.

For the purpose of Part IV of the Preliminary Course, the local Aboriginal community case study is to be the Aboriginal community in which the school is located.

lore

The learning and transmission of cultural heritage (see traditional lore).

missions

Living areas established by the Aboriginal Welfare Board and ruled under the provisions of the Aboriginal Protection Act.

mob

A term that some Aboriginal people use to identify their people or communities. It is not generally acceptable for non-Aboriginal people to automatically use this term.

moral rights

Moral rights are a subset of the rights of creators of copyrighted works, including the right of attribution, the right to have a work published anonymously and the right to the integrity of the work.

native title

Form of land title which recognises Aboriginal people as rightful owners of the land. Native Title (capitalised) refers to the legislation, whereas native title (lower case) refers to the concept.

racism

Discrimination on the basis of perceived racial differences. Racism takes on many forms – attitudinal, institutional and cultural.

Reconciliation

A Commonwealth initiative to promote reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community and to address Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage, with the target date of 2001. A capitalised Reconciliation is used to refer specifically to the process as it applies to the Indigenous peoples and wider community in Australia.

reserves

Areas of land reserved by the Crown for Aboriginal people, established in the 19th century.

resistance

One of the responses of Aboriginal people to invasion, including physical and/or political resistance.

self-determination

Self-determination involves the effective participation of Aboriginal peoples in all decision-making that affects them.

shared history

Recognises that Australia’s history began long before 1788 and that, since then, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians have had diverse historical experiences and have occupied the same Country. The term ‘Australian history’ is inclusive of the histories of all Australians.

social justice

A principle that favours measures aimed at addressing inequities. It includes the rights of people to economic and social independence, and empowerment to determine the direction of their own lives’ futures. The processes and systems which shape the interaction between people, communities and governments determine the degree of social justice achieved.

sovereignty

The legal recognition of ownership of land and territory. Implicit in the concept is the right of self-government. Indigenous peoples have never ceded their sovereignty over Australia.

stations

Living areas established by governments for Aboriginal people on which managers and matrons controlled (and ‘cared for’) those Aboriginal people.

technology

That part of culture which assists people to interact with their environment. It includes knowledge, social organisation, systems, techniques, processes and products.

terra nullius

A concept in international law meaning ‘a territory belonging to no- one’ or ‘over which no-one claims ownership’. The concept has been used to justify the invasion and colonisation of Australia.

Torres Strait Islanders

People from the Torres Strait Islanders are the traditional owners of the islands that lie between Cape York in northern Queensland and Papua New Guinea. Torres Strait Islanders are the Indigenous people from these islands, though there are many Islanders now living on the mainland. Torres Strait Islanders are distinct from other Aboriginal peoples and are generally referred to separately.

traditional

A term widely used to refer to pre-invasion Aboriginal life, culture and social organisation. The term traditional must be used with care as individuals and groups may find this term offensive.

traditional law

Aboriginal people had a complex system of ‘laws’ that represented accepted practices, responsibilities and interactions. As there were no formal codified laws and formal courts under traditional law, problems regarding traditional law were handled by Elders – the most knowledgeable people in the community.

traditional lore

Traditional lore is connected to the Dreaming and provides rules on how to interact with the land, kinship and community. Aboriginal children learned the lore from childhood by observing customs, ceremonies and song cycles.

tribe

An anthropological classification of Aboriginal and other Indigenous peoples who share a common purpose, language and culture. The term ‘tribe’ must be used with care as individuals and groups may find this term offensive (see language groups).