You call them Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, First Nations people, or Indigenous Australians, with the most respectful approach being to use the term they prefer, often their specific cultural group's name (e.g., Gunditjmara) or "First Australians," while avoiding the outdated and often offensive term "Aborigine" as a noun.
In Australia, 'Indigenous' has become a popular, catch-all term to describe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
'Aborigine' is generally perceived as insensitive, because it has racist connotations from Australia's colonial past, and lumps people with diverse backgrounds into a single group. You're more likely to make friends by saying 'Aboriginal person', 'Aboriginal' or 'Torres Strait Islander'.
• First Peoples/Nations/Australians; • Indigenous (if it is used at all); • Elders; • Traditional Owners/Custodians; • Country (and corresponding terms such as 'Land,' when it is used in place of 'Country'), as.
Yes, "Koori" (or Koorie/Goori) is an appropriate regional term for Aboriginal people from southeastern Australia (NSW/Victoria), but it's always best to ask an individual their preference or use broader terms like "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander" or "First Nations people" if you're unsure, as "Koori" is specific to a region and not all Indigenous Australians identify with it. Using specific nation names (like Wiradjuri, Gunditjmara) is even better if known, but "Koori" is a respectful, reclaiming term for its specific area.
Aboriginal peoples
Some Aboriginal people prefer to be referred to by their regional identity, such as Koori, Murri, Nunga or others. These names 'place' them as coming from specific geographical regions, similar to saying you're a 'Queenslander' or 'Tasmanian'.
LAMBRUK: a homestead. LANGI: dwelling. LARNOOK: habitation. LARUNDEL: camp. LUMEAH: here I rest.
To be respectful of the cultural significance and practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, terms such as 'mob', 'Aunty/Uncle', 'tidda', etc should only be used by First Nations peoples or by those who have been given explicit permission from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members.
Here are 5 common Aussie slang words/phrases: G'day (hello), Mate (friend), Arvo (afternoon), No worries (no problem/you're welcome), and Barbie (barbecue), with many Aussies shortening words (like Brekkie for breakfast, Servo for gas station) and using colourful terms for everyday things.
For First Nations people, Bunji is a word that usually means 'friend or friends'. It is a term used in the Warlpiri and other Northern Territory and Queensland languages.
An Australian with an Aboriginal bloodline. Today, there is a growing pool of such people in the general Australian population, thousands of individuals with Aboriginal ancestry who have grown up culturally white.
The standard three-part test for Aboriginality in Australia requires a person to meet three criteria: descent (biological ancestry), self-identification (identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander), and community acceptance (being recognized as such by their Indigenous community). This definition, adopted by the Commonwealth government, is used for many government programs and services, although the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) uses a simpler two-part test (descent and self-identification) for general data collection.
p>As in previous years, the most disadvantaged areas in Australia at the LGA level are dominated by remote, predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This unfortunately shows the level of Aboriginal disadvantage, particularly in remote parts of Australia.
Using terms such as "the Aborigines" or "the Aboriginal people" tends to suggest that Aboriginal people/s are all the same, and thus stereotypes Indigenous Australians. The fact is that Indigenous Australia is multicultural.
The Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme provided ex-gratia payments to Stolen Generations survivors. The reparations aimed to acknowledge historical injustices faced by Stolen Generations survivors. The amount provided to each recipient was $75,000.
"Straya" is a colloquial, affectionate, and humorous slang term for Australia, representing a shortened, phonetic pronunciation of the country's name, often used in a casual context to show national identity and a laid-back attitude. It embodies the Australian tendency to shorten words and can be heard in phrases like "G'day, Straya!".
"Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy, Oi Oi Oi" (often written as "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi") is a patriotic Australian sports chant, a rallying cry of national pride, originating from older British cheers like "Oggy Oggy Oggy," with "Aussie" being slang for Australian, and "Oi" functioning as an emphatic interjection, similar to "Hey!" or "Go!". It's used at sporting events, sometimes considered a bit cheesy or "cringey" by some Australians, but generally seen as an inclusive way to support national teams.
Common Australian slang for a girl includes "Sheila" (older, sometimes dated or slightly derogatory), "chick," or just using general terms like "mate," "gal," or "lass," with context and tone being important, but "girl" is still widely used; some slang, like "moll," can refer to a girlfriend or a promiscuous woman, while "bogan" describes an unsophisticated person.
The $10 note is referred to as a "tenner" or again, less commonly, a "Blue Swimmer", other variations of this nickname exist such as the "blue grenadier", it may also rarely be called a "blue tongue", in reference to the Australian blue-tongue lizard.
"Aborigine"
The media, which is sometimes still using this term, has been called on to abandon it because its use has "negative effects on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' self-esteem and mental health". Many First Nations people consider the use of the term 'Aborigine' racist.
[1] “Susu” is an Aboriginal English term for 'breast' used in the community.
Did you know Bondi or Boondi is actually an Aboriginal word meaning "water breaking over rocks" or "noise of water breaking over rocks." ?
Yallambee is inspired by the Aboriginal word that means 'to dwell at ease'.
Wambiri – Sea coast – falling water – blue. Wambiri means the blue sea and reminds us that the oceans and rivers are a source of food, recreation and enjoyment not only for the Aboriginal people but for us and the many visitors to the coast.
Barralong is an Aboriginal word meaning 'meeting of the waters' (Source: "Australian Aboriginal Words and Place Names" by S.J. Endacott).