The Indigenous groups of Australia

Background of Indigenous Australians
It is believed that Aborigines, indigenous people as early as 1789, which mean 'first or earliest known, indigenous', came to Australia as modern human beings 40,00 to 60,00 years age. Some even believe that they have existed on Australia for 120,000 to 150,000 years, however there is no evidence to support it. The only knowledge to the past are the archaeological evidence and theories.

The Aboriginal people were the founder of the Dreamtime, their customs and belief and explanation on the origin on human. The Australian Aborigines lead a lifestyle based on their DreamTime beliefs and had survived till today. Australian Aborigines migrated from somewhere in Asia at least 30,000 years ago. Though they comprise 500–600 distinct groups, aboriginal people possess some unifying links. Among these are strong spiritual beliefs that tie them to the land; a tribal culture of storytelling and art; and, like other indigenous populations, a difficult colonial history. However, the practices of Dreamtime is greatly reduced ever since some Aborigines settled at new territories with new western influences.

Changes


Population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander & Settlement

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population consists of around 2.5 of the total Australia popuplation, which is 517,000 people and it is expected to increase to 640,700 to 643,800 by 2016. Among the Aborioginal and Torres Strait Islander population, estimated 90% was Aboriginal origin, 6% was Torres Strait Islander and the remaining 4% was both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.


The median age of the indigenous groups are 21 years compared with 37 years for non-Indigenous group.

At June 2006, most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people lived in non-remote area. Estimated percentage of them living in major cities is 32% and 43% in regional area and 25% in remote areas. The indigenous regions with the largest populations were Sydney with 46,900 people, followed by 43,800 at Coff Harbours.


The largest Aboriginal people today are the Pitjantjatjara, living in the area around Uluru, Ayers Rock and south into the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara in South Australia. The second largest Aboriginal community are the Arrernte people who live in and the surroundings of the Alice Springs. The third largest are the Luritja, who live in the lands between the two largest population of Aboriginal people. The Aboriginal languages with the largest number of speakers today are the Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri and Arrernte.

Pitjantjatjara




Today the Aborigines are troubled because many have left the their traditional lifestyle, and have moved to suburbs due to the modernisation, using their territory as an tourist attractions or land development. The Australian tourism board has organised a 'Go walkabout with an Aboriginal guide'. It is a heritage guide in the Blue Mountains showing from legend of sisters to the ancient art and ceremonial sites and seeing the lifestyle of the Aboriginal people. This tour for tourist is a form of themed tour as it is Aborigine-themed and the tour guide have to dress and behave as a Aboriginal person and and tourist participating it have to be as close to the theme as possible such as drawing their faces with Aboriginal art.

Although with the increase of job in the Australia industry due to tourism, there is a high unemployment rate of 40% in Aborigines populations. This is due to the widely discriminated against of them, causing some people not to hire them. To worsen the situation, the police and government discriminate against aborigines. In many places bars are segregated into different parts for Aborigines or Aborigines aren't served at all. However, some progress was made recently when an Aboriginal woman was voted into Australia parliament. But this does not solve the critical problem because similar to the African Americans in The United Sates recent history, Australia still has a many to be done to ensure Aborigines have equal rights.
Modernisation and 'Disneyfication' have made people to be common to be one another and allow the exposure of knowledge. However, this exposure of knowledge to the existence of Aboriginal does not create a positive response. Instead, non-Aboriginal people have a narrow mindset and discriminate Aboriginal people just because they have different lifestyle and practices. One the other hand, to rise the acceptance, the cultural tours and exposure are created to encourage acceptance and to rise the rights of the Aboriginal people as they represent the identity of the country.

The identity of the country can be so distinct that it can be viewed as 'themed' which most countries are highlighting their countries to be to attract people and to strengthen their culture.