“Earliest known” is the origin of the word Aborigines, who may be the first humans on Earth. Approximately 30,000 years ago, the Aborigines immigrated from New Guinea, Java, and Borneo Island to Australia. (Aborigines) They consisted of 500 to 600 different groups, each with their own set of beliefs that connected them to the land, as well as a distinct culture of arts and storytelling. They also had a strenuous history of being colonized. (Aboriginal Australia: History, Culture and Conflict)
In the 17th century, when the Europeans first came to colonize Australia, the Aborigines were discriminated against and many of their human rights were violated. (Unprepresented Nations and Peoples Organization) At first, the Aboriginals and Europeans were able to live in harmony:they were trading water, food, and objects. (Australia’s Government – Culture and Recreation Portal) The British colonizers were unable to fully adapt to the Aborigines culture, resulting in the colonizers asking the Aborigines to change their way of life to suit that of the Europeans. As most would do, the Aboriginalsopposed to this , trying to protect their customs and their land. Their most important possession was their land, which, in their eyes, was a part of their lives. The British thought quite differently. For example, they believed that land existed simply to be exploited for agriculture, as well as to be sold or bought. Since the colonizers thought themselves superior to the Aboriginals, they “began to lose their hunting grounds, their watering holes, in fact the source of life.” Aborigines were killed from diseases that were spread with no immunity, battles, and the effect of alcohol took a toll on their unadapted systems. (Aborigines)
When Australia became known as a nation in 1901, it was a “democratic” nation. The Aborigines were not classified as Australians, so they were not eligible to vote. They were encouraged to move away from the European settlements where they would be less “troublesome”. (Australian Aboriginal History) In 1962, there was a federal referendum, which 91% of the population voted for, giving the right to the Aboriginals to become citizens and to vote during elections. (Australian History) The Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976 was the first legislation allowing the Aborigines to claim the Northern Territory as their land. (Documenting Democracy)
The rights of Aborigines, or the “stolen generation” were violated mostly in the past, and they are now speaking up with complaints about how the issues were handled, or how they were ignored. There was an extensive amount of sexual abuse and violence towards to the Aborigines. John Howard, the former prime minister of Australia, demanded that people take action. Around 60 native communities were provided with basic help, including welfare money, health checks, etc. (Australia’s battered aboriginal communities) This is clearly not enough action to make a difference and restore their human rights.
“The Boy from the Block”, a documentary that aired on television in July of 2004, showed the truth about the Australian Aborigines. A female Aboriginal artist was interviewed as Caucasians crowd around her paintings. “Everyone is smiling. If you are a talented Aboriginal artist, everyone wants to be your friend. If you are not like her, almost no one wants to be your friend, ” said this young woman. This demonstrates how many of them were and are discriminated against their race, unless they are famous and have something to bring to the country.
The human rights of these Aborigines are still in the process of improving. The Aborigines have been discriminated against for a long time and change is needed. There is still hope for the future that their rights will improve. Slowly, the government is getting involved and improving the lifestyle of the Aboriginals, but it is not sufficient for the amount of Aborigines that there are. The Aborigines of Australia need to be treated equally and with respect. (Pilger)
