They want a "a space of our own, free from influence of government". Land rights. Recognition that Aboriginal people have always maintained a property right in land and the natural resources according to their law and customs.
For generations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have called for a formal treaty or treaties to recognise their sovereignty “and set out mutually agreed terms for our relationship with the Australian government”. But while Treaty has long been part of the political landscape, it is not well understood.
Aboriginal people have a rich culture involving a custom, lore and value system based on the sustainability of their spiritual connection, belonging, obligation and responsibility to care for their land, their people and their environment.
Indigenous people have the right to live in freedom, peace and security. They must be free from genocide and other acts of violence including the removal of their children by force (Article Seven). Indigenous peoples have the right to practice and revitalise their cultural traditions and customs (Article Eleven).
The six core values (see Figure 1) – spirit and integrity, cultural continuity, equity, reciprocity, respect, and responsibility – are important to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
These pillars include; belief, spirituality, family and land. Beliefs: This is what guides you in how you live your life as well as how you view the world.
Aboriginal people are born into the responsibility to care for their land, today and with future generations. Land sustains Aboriginal lives in every aspect, spiritually, physically, socially and culturally.
This history of injustice has meant that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have been denied access to basic human rights, such as rights to health, housing, employment and education. Did you know that there were over 250 distinct Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages at the time of colonisation?
Generally, no. Only vacant Crown land may be subject to a native title claim. Freehold land, which is almost all private property, is not subject to native title claims even if Aboriginal places are present.
The six values are Spirit and Integrity, Cultural continuity, Equity, Reciprocity, Respect, and Responsibility. 'Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities' guidelines document provides further detail.
While there is much diversity among Indigenous Peoples and Nations overall, Indigenous ethics resonate with the values of honour, trust, honesty, and humility; they reflect commitment to the collective and embody a respectful relationship with the land.
The traditional owners of the land which archaeological evidence confirms is the oldest continuous civilisation on earth, extending back over 65,000 years. They were among the first humans to migrate out of Africa, across the coastlines of India and Asia until reaching the shores of Australia.
They want a "a space of our own, free from influence of government". Land rights. Recognition that Aboriginal people have always maintained a property right in land and the natural resources according to their law and customs.
They lived in small communities and survived by hunting and gathering. The men would hunt large animals for food and women and children would collect fruit, plants and berries. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities only used the land for things that they needed - shelter, water, food, weapons.
Activists kept fighting for improved health and education, land rights and an end to the forced removal of Indigenous children from their families. Underpinning all of these goals was constitutional reform, which led to the referendum of 1967.
For much of Australia's political history, tens of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people couldn't vote in state or federal elections. In 1962 the Australian Parliament passed a landmark Act to give all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people the option to enrol and vote in federal elections.
Aboriginal people were subjected to a range of injustices, including mass killings or being displaced from their traditional lands and relocated on missions and reserves in the name of protection. Cultural practices were denied, and subsequently many were lost.
In caring for Country, Indigenous Australians draw on laws, knowledge and customs that have been inherited from ancestors and ancestral beings, to ensure the continued health of lands and seas with which they have a traditional attachment or relationship.
Resistance to imposed controls. Control forced on Aboriginal nations (e.g. the Northern Territory Intervention) is met with resistance. Social tension. Alcohol serves as a way to escape tensions and frustrations resulting from poverty, unemployment, discrimination, racism, boredom or dislocation.
The Aboriginals have practiced Smoking ceremonies for thousands of years. It is when various native plants are collected and used to produce smoke. This has been believed to have cleansing properties and the ability to ward off unwanted and bad spirits, which was believed to bring bad omens.
Aboriginal spirituality is the belief that all objects are living and share the same soul or spirit that Aboriginals share. This is a very fundamental statement about Aboriginal spirituality. It implies that besides animals and plants even rocks have a soul.