FREE ESSAY ON AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES

Until this paper, I never even knew there was such a word as "Aborigine" let alone it
being a race of people dating back to the prehistoric times. I thought that all
Australians were of Anglo decent, but I was wrong about that assumption. The Aborigines
were the first and only inhabitants of Australia, until the late 18th century when
European settlers came. Because of the Europeans, the Aborigines lives would change
drastically. In this paper, I am going to talk about the Aborigines, describing their
origins up to the present. 
The Aborigines came originally from somewhere in Asia and have been in Australia for at
least 40,000 years. The first settlement occurred during an era of lowered sea levels,
when there was an almost continuous land bridge between Asia and Australia, allowing them
to cross over between the two continents. By 30,000 years ago most of the continent was
occupied, including the southwest and southeast corners as well as the Highlands of the
island of New Guinea (Mulvaney, 55-56). Archaeologists have found that much of the
interior of Australia was abandoned due to severe climatic conditions between 25,000 and
15,000 years ago and reoccupied after the conditions improved. Up until the time the
European settlers came in 1788, the Aborigines occupied and utilized the entire continent
and had adapted successfully to a large range of ecological and climatic conditions, from
wet temperate and tropical rain forests to extremely arid deserts. Population densities
ranged from about 1 to 8 square miles per person in the more fertile and coastal areas to
more than 35 square miles per person in the deserts. Estimates of the Aboriginal
population vary from 300,000 to more than 1,000,000 (Kepars, 15).
The Aborigines were hunter-gatherers and because of this, they were dependent on their
environment. They did not grow crops or domesticate animals so whenever food was scarce,
they were forced to move in order to find more (Blainey, 20). They were nomads who
traveled from site to site within their home territories. Most of the time they hunted
and gathered in small groups. When the food resources were high, though, they would
organize large gatherings. At these gatherings is where social and religious business of
the society would be transacted over a two- to three-week period of intense social
activity. This pattern of aggregation and dispersal was fundamental, but because of the
living conditions, they had no choice but to follow this pattern. Their food supply was
not always abundant (Tindale, 31).
Even though they were the only ones inhabiting Australia, the Aborigines spoke more than
200 different languages. Most of the Aborigines were bilingual or multilingual. Both
languages and groups of people were associated with stretches of territory. There may
have been as many as 500 such named, territories (Broome, 27-28). Their members shared
similar cultures and interacted more with one another than with members of different
groups. These groups were not, however, politically or economically tied to each other.
While language groups as labels may have commonly used names for one another, individual
and group identity differed greatly from how they were labeled by other groups. The
Aborigines were not aware that they shared a national identity. However, the Aboriginal
worldview tended to be expansive, with a perception of society as a community of common
under-standings and behaviors shared well beyond the confines of the local group (Broome,
30). 
"Aboriginal society was the outcome of interplay between economic, ecological, social,
and religious forces" (Goldberg, 144-5). The territories that the different groups of
Aborigines occupied were called estates. The estate group was the group that shared
ownership of a territory. These groups consisted of people who traced connections with
one another by decent through males (Goldberg, 147). Members of an estate were scattered
in bands across their territory. A band consisted of two or more families. Each family
cooked and camped separately from the others in their estate. Even though they could
function alone, they preferred to live and travel together in bands, probably for
survival.
The Aborigines religion was centered on Dreamtime. They saw their way of life as already
ordained by the creative acts of the Dreaming beings and the blueprint that was their
legacy, so their mission was simply to live in agreement with the terms of that legacy
(Flood, 7). Because of this, there was no room for competing dogmas or rebellion against
the status quo. Everything that now existed was fixed for all time and all that they were
asked to do, in order to guarantee the continuance of their world, was obey the law of
the Dreaming and correctly perform all the rituals. Human creativity was not excluded but
was explained away. The Dreaming legacy was not a static, dead weight of tradition but
was forever being added to and enlivened, despite an ideology that proclaimed non-change
and the need only to reproduce existing forms (Flood, 10). This view of the world gave
precedence to spiritual powers and explanations over human intellect, and it placed
everyone squarely under the authority of Dreaming rather than that of other people.
Because of this, there were no leaders in the Aborigine society. Aborigines were
constantly surrounded by proofs of the existence and power of spiritual forces--the
landscape itself represented the Dreaming's reality. Everyday activities were in large
measure a reenactment of those of the creative beings, making religion inseparable from
the concerns of daily life. Outside the ritual arena, and notwithstanding the superior
rights of men over women and of older men over younger men, people valued their personal
affairs highly and were likely to react with anger and violence to any attempts by others
who denied it (Flood, 15). 
The Aborigines also believed in totemism. A totem represented each family and even some
individuals. They were linked to things of nature and supernatural beings. Totemic
beliefs are more highly elaborated among the Aborigines than among any other people
(Tindale, 53). Basically, the totem was a symbol that provided a link between humans and
mythical beings. The Aborigines believed that these mythical beings were once human, but
then morphed into land features such as rocks or even animals. Totemism connects the
Aborigine family to a certain place or event that gives them an account of their origin.
It is individual to the family while at the same time linking them to other families that
share the same origins (Flood, 22). They valued their totems very highly, almost as much
as their religion.
Although not as important as the Dreamtime or totemism, music played a major role in the
Aborigine's lives. Although the songs of each of the tribes sounded similar, they were
unique and each tribe knew that their songs were different from other tribes. They really
didn't have any musical instruments. They sang and either stamped their feet or clapped
their hands to accompany the singing. For some songs, they hit sticks together in order
to give them rhythm (Tindale, 57). Some tribes used a didgeridoo, which was probably the
only real instrument they had. This instrument was made from a hollowed out tree branch
and could very long, sometimes up to 15 feet. It originated from the tribes of Northern
Australia and eventually spread to the other parts over time. The sound was made by
blowing into one end, which would produce a buzzing sound. The didgeridoo became a
national symbol for the Aborigines mainly because of its uniqueness. Their music would be
used in performing their rituals for the Dreaming (Tindale, 59). These rituals were
usually only performed when the food supply was abundant and they got together with
members of other tribes to perform the rituals. 
In the 1780's, the Aborigines lifestyle took a turn for the worse. This the period in
which Europeans began to explore and eventually colonize Australia. The two vastly
different cultures would soon clash and cause a dramatic change for the Aborigines. The
British were the first of the Europeans to start colonies in Australia. The Aborigines
were at first very friendly and receptive of the settlers. But as more and more settlers
came this would change. "Although the Colonial Office in London prescribed the
safeguarding of indigenes' rights and their treatment as British subjects, friction soon
developed between the colonists and local Aborigines" (Blainey, 85). Once the European
settlement began to expand inland, it caused conflict because it interfered with the
Aborigines' economic and religious activities. The Europeans were forcing them off their
hunting land and sacred areas. They couldn't compensate for the increasing population of
the settlers. Before long, the Europeans became annoyed with the Aborigines and violence
was inevitable. Some of the Aborigine groups were able to wage successful guerilla war
against the Europeans, but eventually, the lack of technology became their downfall. Up
to the 1880's, many Aborigines were killed as a result of fighting against the Europeans
(Blainey, 93). Other groups were forced into hiding while others stayed in camps. The
Aborigines who stayed in camps became the nucleus of the European labor force (Blainey,
102). Fighting wasn't the only thing that killed the Aborigines. Diseases, brought over
by the Europeans, killed off many Aborigines. Diseases killed more of them than did
fighting. In the southeast, the Aborigines died off so fast that the Europeans believed
that all the others would soon become extinct (McLeod, 134). In 1856, rowing humanitarian
concerns led the Australian colonies to pass laws, beginning in Victoria, concerning the
care and protection of Aborigines (Blainey, 133). They were put on reservations where
they received food and shelter. Unfortunately for the Aborigines, those laws did not give
them any social or economic standing in the colonies. Since they were force off their
land, they could no longer hunt or gather food for survival. They were forced to adapt to
the European culture because that was the only choice they had. Even though they adapted
to the new culture, they were still living in poverty. Gradually, missionaries and
government welfare agents began to have some effect, and questions of humane treatment
came to have a more of a purpose. But in some areas the Aborigines were still mistreated
and fighting still occurred, all though not as much as before well into the 1940's
(Broome, 157). On top of that, in places where the European settlement was intense,
miscegenation, or cross breeding, took place (Blainey, 152). Eventually the number of
Aborigines of mixed with European blood eventually outnumbered those with pure Aboriginal
ancestry. In the southern and middle eastern parts of Australia, their traditional
lifestyle ceased to exist as reality. In the northern parts their traditional lifestyle
remained even on reservations, but with modifications, so it wasn't the same as before.
In some remote areas, the Aborigines were able to live as before but with changes,
especially in law and order (Blainey, 178). 
Even into the 20th century, the Aborigines' situation did not get any better. The
estimated number of persons of predominantly Aboriginal descent declined from about
180,000 in 1861 to less than 95,000 in 1901 (Broome, 189). The Aborigines were still
living in poverty and because of all the problems they faced, many of them began
drinking. This led to a big alcohol epidemic among the Aborigine population (Blainey,
196). On top of that, many Europeans felt that the Aborigines needed to be wiped out. In
the 1950's, the Aborigine Protection Board developed a policy called "assimilation".
Under this policy, Aborigine children were taken from their homes and brought to white
homes to be raised in the "superior white" ways. Some of them were even kidnapped. It was
estimated that about 100,000 children were victims of this policy. They became known as
the "stolen generation" (McLeod, 214). The intent was to steer them away from their own
culture make them want to adapt to the white culture. This practice was so bad that an
official report from Australia written two years ago used the word "Genocide" to describe
it. The article also talks about how the Australian government today is trying to make
amends for its actions in the past (The Hardest Word, 48). This policy lasted up until
the 60's. Assimilation, by far, is one of the crueler treatments of the Aborigines by the
Europeans.
Despite all of the hard times they have been through, the Aborigines are beginning to
make a comeback. In the past few years, several music groups, consisting of Aboriginal
singers and musicians, have emerged from Australia. Most of the songs performed by these
groups remind the Europeans of their cruel treatment of the Aborigines (World Music,
655). Yothu Yindi is probably the most recognized Aborigine rock group around. The name
means "Mother Child" and the group consists of a blend of Aborigine and White musicians.
Their first album titled "Homeland Movement" was released in 1988, which was Australia's
bicentennial year. Soon after, "Tribal Voice" and "Freedom" followed. All three albums
address political issues such as land rights and social injustice. They also sang about
how they would like peace between them and the Europeans (World Music, 658). Some of
their most popular songs include "Freedom," which talks about how they wish unite both
races together. Others include "Timeless Land," which describes the spiritual aspect of
the their land and sacred it is to them and "Treaty," which talks about a promise from
the Europeans that was broken (World Music, 958-9). Another Aborigine musician is Kev
Carmody. He was a "stolen child" who was kidnapped from his parents at the age of 10. His
first album, titled "Pillars of Society," was released in 1990 (World Music, 659). The
album contained a song titled "Thou Shalt Not Steal." This powerful song talks about the
assimilation practice and how the Europeans used Christianity "as a tool in its genocide"
(World Music, 660). He also released another album in 1993. He said the positive part
about this album "is that we get so many requests from kids who want to quote the songs
for school projects" (World Music, 660). Archie Roach is also a "stolen child" who was
taken away at the age of three. When he was a teenager, he found out his mother had died
and turned to alcohol to cope with the pain. For the next 10 years, he became an
alcoholic drifting from city to city. Eventually he quit drinking and turned to music. In
1990, he released an album called, "Charcoal Lane." This album contained the song, "Took
the Children Away" which talks about his experience with assimilation and how he was
taken from his family and forced to learn the white ways (World Music, 660). Another
"stolen child" who became a singer is Ruby Hunter. She is the first woman artist in
Australia to "record solo" (World Music, 655). Her first album titled, "Thoughts Within"
was released in 1994. The album had a song called, "Kurongk Boy, Kurongk Girl" which
talks about going back in time and doing things that she used to do when she was a kid
(World Music, 655). In 1980, the Central Australian Aborigine Media Association was
created. This association uses music in its campaigns to educate the Aborigines about the
problems they face. In 1988, the CAAMA released a cassette called "Wanna Wanti: Drink A
Little Bit." Its purpose was to stop the alcohol abuse that affected many Aborigines. In
1989, they released another cassette called, "AIDS! How Could I Know?" to combat AIDS.
Besides these two campaigns, the CAAMA has been active in "recording and releasing music
from the remote desert areas" (World Music, 661). Many other Aborigine-based bands have
been formed besides the ones mentioned above. There are over 50 bands now in the Northern
Territory and hundreds of others in the other parts of Australia (World Music, 662).
Although they are mainly local bands, they are still making an impact by raising issues,
such as racism and segregation that still occur in Australia today.
In conclusion, I have described the Aborigines from their origins, talk about their
religion and music, how the European settlers affected their lives, and finally where
they are today. After this research paper, I now have a better understanding about the
Aborigines in general. It makes me sad that even though they date back to the prehistoric
times, they are not really well known around the world the way they should be. It also
upsets me about how the Europeans could just come over and take the Aborigines' sacred
land away from them and force them to conform to the European lifestyle. They didn't care
about the interest of the Aborigines. It reminds me of the Native Americans and Europeans
and how the Europeans forced the Native Americans off of their homelands and put them on
reservations. The thing that bothers me the most is how the Europeans wanted to get rid
of the Aborigines by using assimilation. To go and take children away from their families
just to make them "civilized" makes me sad. So in the end, even through all of the pain
and suffering, the Aborigines are starting to make a comeback by using their own style of
music to spread the word.