Aborigines are known as the indigenous people living in Australia. Aborigines, who still exist today, lived in isolation from the world until the colonial powers came to the region in the 18th century. With the arrival of the colonial powers, their lives turned into hell and they experienced many deaths and migrations. The region where the Aborigines live a very interesting life can be visited with a special permission, which does not exceed a certain number today.
Indigenous people living as nomadic tribes came to the Australian continent from Southeast Asia. It is known that they do not have a written language of their own, they communicate and convey their culture through the songs they sing. They grew vegetables and fruits, mostly by hunting and gathering.
Genocide of Aborigines
There are many Aboriginal tribes living in areas around Australia and Tasmania. The British who came to the region brought many different diseases with them. For this reason, the local people living closed to the outside world; He died from diseases such as measles, chicken pox and flu. In addition, the British ignored that the Aborigines had their own unique culture and beliefs. However, for the local people, the land of his birth had a sacred significance. However, the British, who could not understand the importance of this, forced the Aborigines to migrate from their lands, and they could not hold on to life in the places they went. From 1788 to 1900, many Aborigines lost their lives due to disease and immigration, and the population decreased by 90 percent.
In 1803-1807, the Aborigines living in Tasmania were subjected to genocide and many indigenous peoples were wiped out from the region. It is known that there were more than 300 thousand Aboriginal people living in Australia before the British came to the region. After the British withdrew from the region, the Aborigines’ right to own land was formalized in 1960. The number of Aboriginal people living in Australia has also started to rise gradually. Today, it is known that more than 250 thousand Aborigines live on the continent. The most populated region is New South Wales.
Culture and Beliefs of Aborigines
Aborigines are people who live in different tribes and spread over a large area in Australia. There are cultural differences between the tribes because the region they live in is different. Although there are differences between the tribes, in general, they have their own unique culture, belief and language.
Aborigines, who have a great respect for the land, have a cultural belief known as the “Dream Time” belief. Since they attach great importance to spirituality, they made predictions about the future through the dreams they saw. It is seen that Islam has started to spread among the Aborigines recently, but 72 percent of the people believe in the Christian religion.
The poems and songs they sang in religious ceremonies contributed to Aboriginal music. Musical instruments usually consist of a long pipe called a didgerido and 2 sticks. They create different rhythms by hitting the sticks together. Due to their religious beliefs, they created examples of Aboriginal art by painting the bark of trees and the walls of caves. Aboriginal people, who do not use much clothing, have half their bodies painted. The clothes used to cover certain areas are mostly made of kangaroo skin.
Official Recognition of Aboriginal Existence
It was accepted that the British settled on the Continent of Australia before the Aborigines. However, with the law amendment made in 1999, it was accepted that the situation was the opposite. In the researches, the genetic history of the local people was examined and it was revealed that they were the first to set foot on the island.
ATSIC, which is known as the largest indigenous organization in Australia, has brought the protection of Aboriginal rights to the agenda. This organization even demanded that the government apologize for committing genocide against Aborigines in previous years. This request, which was rejected every time, was accepted with the motion presented to the parliament during the time of the Prime Minister of Australia, Kavin Rud, and an official apology was made. “We apologize to these Australian citizens for the laws and policies of successive governments in Australia that have caused deep sorrow, pain and loss” (Australian Prime Minister Kavin Rud)
Aborigines were described as “barbarian savages” by the colonists who came to the region. As the reason, it is shown that they do not have a social order and hierarchy. But later it was revealed that Aborigines established a systematic order that included complex rules about life and marriage. These people living today continue to preserve their culture, albeit partially.
Dream Time with a Different Belief System
Natives, who lead their lives in large family groups, live by meeting only their basic needs. All groups living in a region constitute only one tribe. Tribe members are usually made up of related and related people. Everyone has a different task and who will marry whom is tied to a certain rule. A man in the subgroup of the tribe can only marry a girl from the other subgroup.
Soil has a special place in the life of the people. They see the land as a gift from their ancestors. Aborigines do not see themselves as the owners of the land they live on. For this reason, their lands; they believe that they protect and watch on behalf of their ancestors and mythical beings. These mythical beings are called dreamtime beings. Dreamtime beings first created the empty world, then the landforms, then mountains, rivers, animals, and humans. At the same time, these mythical beings have brought some rules such as controlling fire, using weapons, hunting, marriage rules.
After these beings created the world, they were assigned to protect people and left some traces behind. The paths that dream time beings follow while traveling around the world are called “dream paths” and these paths are considered sacred. Aborigines ritually follow the paths of dreams, walking the paths opened to their dreamtime beings. While walking on these roads, he sings songs and the songs often describe the dream paths. Today, the basic world beliefs of the local people are the belief in dream time.
They drew the beings they considered to be their ancestors, partly animal and partly human, on cave walls or animal skins. Some Aborigines believe that their ancestors were animals. Each tribe member usually believes in the tribe’s animal ancestor. These animal ancestors are symbols such as “bird woman” or “kangaroo mother”. They believe that the ancestor of creation, which they call Wandjina, came out of the spirits of cloud and rain and entered ponds and springs. When the ancestor of creation was angry with people; It opens its mouth and causes large floods. Aborigines mostly make their living by hunting and collecting fruits and vegetables. Aborigines, who have a very old history, continue their lives today with their different cultures and mysterious lives.
