Australian Aboriginal identity facts for kids
Aboriginal Australian identity, often called Aboriginality, is about how people see themselves as Aboriginal Australian, or how others recognize that identity. Aboriginal Australians are one of two main groups of Indigenous peoples in Australia; the other group is Torres Strait Islanders. People also talk about whether to use "Indigenous" or "Aboriginal," or even more specific group names like Murri or Noongar, which are based on language or clan names. Usually, it's best to use the name the person prefers.
The word "Aboriginal" was first used by white settlers in Australia in the 1830s. For a long time, there wasn't a clear legal definition of who was Aboriginal. The Constitution of Australia mentioned Aboriginal people twice in 1901, but these mentions were later removed after the 1967 referendum.
Today, a key legal idea comes from a 1992 court case called Mabo v Queensland (No 2). In this case, Justice Brennan said that being Indigenous depends on three things:
- Having biological ancestors who were Indigenous.
- Thinking of yourself as a member of Indigenous people.
- Being accepted as a member by elders or other respected people in that community.
This three-part test is still used today.
Many things affect how Aboriginal people identify themselves. There's a growing pride in their culture and a strong feeling of togetherness because of a shared history of losing their land and culture, including the Stolen Generations. Also, fair-skinned Aboriginal people are more willing to acknowledge their ancestors, which was once seen as something to hide. Aboriginal identity can sometimes be a topic of debate among both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Recent censuses show that more and more people are identifying as Indigenous, much faster than the overall Australian population is growing.
Contents
History of Aboriginal Identity
A historian once said that by 1991, governments had used at least 67 different ways to classify or define who was an Aboriginal person since European settlement in Australia.
Early Definitions (1788 – 1980)
The word "Aborigine" came from a Latin phrase, ab origine, which means "from the very beginning." White settlers started using it in the 1830s.
Until the 1980s, being considered Aboriginal was mostly based on a person's visible physical features or known ancestors. If a child was born to an Aboriginal mother, they were considered Aboriginal, no matter who their father was.
In the past, whether you had basic human rights often depended on your race. If you were considered "full-blooded Aboriginal" or had "Aboriginal blood," you might have been forced to live on special Reserves or Missions. You might have had to work for food, received very little education, and even needed government permission to marry or visit family.
The original Constitution of Australia from 1901 mentioned Aboriginal people twice. One part, Section 51(xxvi), allowed the government to make laws for people of any race, but it specifically excluded "the aboriginal race." This was meant to control non-white immigrant workers. Another part, Section 127, said that "aboriginal natives shall not be counted" when figuring out the population size of Australia. This meant Aboriginal people weren't included when deciding how many seats each state got in the House of Representatives.
After the 1967 referendum, these parts of the Constitution were changed. This meant Aboriginal people were now counted in the population, and the Federal Parliament could make laws specifically for them. Since then, there have been ideas to change the Constitution again to specifically mention Indigenous Australians.
Changes in the 1980s: Growing Pride and Recognition
Between 1981 and 1986, the number of people identifying as Aboriginal in Australian censuses grew by 42%. This was about 68,000 new people identifying as Aboriginal.
In 1988, during Australia's 200th anniversary celebrations, Prime Minister Bob Hawke received a statement of Aboriginal goals called The Barunga Statement. This statement, presented by Galarrwuy Yunupingu and Wenten Rubuntja, asked the Australian government to help "respect and promote our Aboriginal identity," including cultural, language, religious, and historical parts. It also asked for the right to be educated in their own languages and history.
Legal Definitions Since 1980
In 1978, the Australian Government's Cabinet suggested a three-part definition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity:
- Being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.
- Identifying as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.
- Being accepted as such by the community you live in.
This definition, often called the "Commonwealth Definition," was officially proposed in a 1981 report and soon adopted by government departments to decide who could receive certain services. States like New South Wales also adopted it in their laws, such as the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983.
In the 1983 Tasmanian Dam Case, the High Court of Australia looked at whether new laws to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage were valid under the changed Section 51(xxvi) of the Constitution. The court decided that Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders could be considered a "race" for this purpose. Justice Deane's definition became widely accepted:
...By "Australian Aboriginal" I mean, in accordance with what I understand to be the conventional meaning of that term, a person of Aboriginal descent, albeit mixed, who identifies himself as such and who is recognised by the Aboriginal community as an Aboriginal.
While this definition included self-identification and community acceptance, it still focused on biological descent as a main part.
In 1992, Justice Brennan's important judgment in the Mabo v Queensland (No 2) case further explained Aboriginal identity:
Membership of the Indigenous people depends on biological descent from the Indigenous people and on mutual recognition of a particular person's membership by that person and by the elders or other persons enjoying traditional authority among those people.
Legal Challenges in the 1990s
The "Commonwealth Definition" continued to be used, especially in the Mabo case, which led to the recognition of native title in Australia in 1992. However, there was a lot of discussion, especially in Tasmania, about whether the most important part of identity was self-identification, community acceptance, or descent. The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC) focused on proof of descent and sometimes refused services to people who had previously been identified as Aboriginal.
A report for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) suggested that people claiming Aboriginal identity should meet all three criteria and show family records linking them to traditional Aboriginal society at the time of European settlement in Tasmania. Debates also happened in Federal Court cases, with different interpretations.
After the 1999 ATSIC election, questions were raised about the Aboriginal identity of many voters and elected officials. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) later stated that:
It is probable that there are in the wider Tasmanian community persons who have a degree of Aboriginal descent although there are no public records which support their claim. 2. Self identification and community recognition of applicants as Aborigines, particularly where there is evidence of a family history or tradition of Aboriginal descent passed on orally, can provide evidence of Aboriginal descent.
The TAC complained that many candidates were "white" and called for a boycott.
Other Views on Identity
From Aboriginal Australians
- Eve Fesl, a Gabi-Gabi woman, wrote in 1986 that "aborigine" refers to an Indigenous person of any country. She said if it refers to specific Australian people, it should be spelled with a capital 'A', as in 'Aborigine'.
- Lowitja O'Donoghue said she and many other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people don't like the term "Indigenous" being used in Australia. She felt it took away their specific identity because some non-Aboriginal people born in Australia started calling themselves "Indigenous." She said they are happy to connect with Indigenous people around the world, but prefer "Aboriginal" or "Torres Strait Islander" for people in Australia.
From Experts
- Professor MaryAnn Bin-Sallik, an expert in Indigenous research, has talked about how Aboriginal Australians have been categorized over time. In 2008, she suggested that terms like "urban," "traditional," and "of Indigenous descent" are not helpful because they divide people. She said these new words are just like the old terms "half-caste" and "full-blood," which were based on skin color. She called for using "Aborigine" or "Torres Strait Islander" for everyone, no matter their skin tone.
Using the Term "Black"
The word "black" has been used to describe Aboriginal Australians since Europeans arrived. While it was once used negatively and related to skin color, today it often refers to Aboriginal heritage or culture in general. It can be used for any person with Aboriginal heritage, regardless of their skin color. In the 1970s, many Aboriginal activists, like Gary Foley, proudly used the term "black." Writer Kevin Gilbert's book Living Black included interviews with Aboriginal community members about their culture. Using this term needs care, as it might not always be appropriate depending on the situation.
What Shapes Aboriginal Identity?
Self-identification
Aboriginal people often define themselves by their culture, not just their race. Historian Victoria Grieves says that how recently someone had Aboriginal ancestors doesn't decide if they identify as Aboriginal. Many parts of Aboriginal culture are passed down through families and kinship systems. Having living Aboriginal relatives is often the main way people feel connected to their culture. Grieves explains that "Family, kinship, relatedness and connectedness are the basis of Aboriginal world-views."
Aboriginal identity has many connected parts that can make up how an individual sees themselves:
- Peoplehood: This means that Aboriginal people continue to exist with many different identities, moving beyond the idea of one single Indigenous identity.
- Beliefs or religion: This includes spiritual beliefs and stories.
- Culture: This is about celebrating the spiritual and cultural ways of Aboriginal lore and customs.
Taking part in Aboriginal culture and spiritual beliefs helps keep communities strong and connected. Ceremonies are very important for passing down Dreaming stories, customs, connection to country, and laws of the group.
Recognizing Aboriginal land rights in Australia has been very important for Aboriginal identity. It has made both Aboriginal people and white people think about and explain what makes Aboriginal identity unique. Expert Gordon Briscoe also suggests that Indigenous health issues have historically shaped this identity, especially after British settlement.
Anthropologist Ian Keen noted in 2006 that the many different Australian Aboriginal languages play a big role in questions of Aboriginal identity.
Subsets of Identity
There are many different types of Aboriginal identity in Australia. These regional identities relate to specific Aboriginal sub-cultures or ethnic groups, based on language, culture, traditional lands, or other features. But there is also a wider "pan-Aboriginal self-identification" that connects all Aboriginal people.
How Others See Aboriginal Identity
Aboriginal music has been used in public performances to help non-Aboriginal audiences better understand and appreciate Aboriginal identity in modern Australia. Historian Rebe Taylor has criticized negative ideas about Aboriginal identity, such as linking it only to the Australian welfare system.
Court Ruling on Non-Alien Status (2020)
On February 11, 2020, the High Court of Australia made an important decision in two court cases (Love v Commonwealth of Australia; Thoms v Commonwealth of Australia). The court used the three-part test from the 1992 Mabo v Queensland (No 2) case to decide if the two men involved were Aboriginal. The court then ruled that if a person is considered an Aboriginal Australian, they cannot be seen as an alien in Australia, even if they are citizens of another country. This meant the two men, Daniel Love and Brendan Thomas, could not be sent out of Australia as aliens under the Migration Act 1958.
The Justices decided that both men met the criteria for being Aboriginal. They said that the Australian Parliament cannot treat an Aboriginal Australian as an "alien" because Aboriginal Australians have a special cultural, historical, and spiritual connection to Australia. This connection is a key part of their traditional laws and customs and is recognized by common law. The court found that this connection means an Aboriginal Australian cannot be considered an alien under the Constitution of Australia.
Current Discussions About Identity
In a 2011 case, Eatock v Bolt, the Federal Court of Australia found that writer Andrew Bolt had broken the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. Bolt had written newspaper articles claiming that some fair-skinned Aboriginal people were saying they were Aboriginal for unfair benefits. The articles questioned if these people were "Aboriginal enough." The judge found that Bolt's articles contained "wrong facts, twisted truths, and strong, upsetting language."
In 2014, an Indigenous researcher suggested that understanding the true nature of Aboriginal identity helps decide who has the right to claim Aboriginality. In 2016, politician Ben Wyatt wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald that all Australians should recognize the "ancient identity and story of Aboriginal Australians." He said this identity "still remains to be embraced, captured and adopted by all Australians." Later that year, Will Hodgman announced easier rules for identifying as Aboriginal Tasmanians. This caused some upset in the Aboriginal community, with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre saying it would mean people could just "tick a box" to claim Aboriginality, and the community would be "swamped with white people."
In March 2019, Mark Latham announced that the One Nation party wanted to make rules stricter for Aboriginal identity in Australia. They suggested needing DNA evidence of at least 25% Indigenous heritage, which is like having one fully Aboriginal grandparent.
In May 2019, The Guardian reported that Liberal Party candidate Jacinta Price, daughter of Aboriginal activist Bess Price, was criticized for wrongly questioning a person's Aboriginal identity, calling him a white Australian.
In June 2019, government minister Ben Wyatt, who had found his own Aboriginal identity difficult as a teenager, praised NAIDOC Week for being a "strong celebration of Aboriginal identity and culture."
In July 2019, an ABC News article reviewed Anita Heiss's book Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia. It said the book was helping to fight the "racist myth of a singular Aboriginal identity." Similarly, the ABC's Little Yarns podcast aims to "celebrate the diversity of Indigenous cultures and languages," helping to correct the idea of a single, unchanging Aboriginal identity.
In late 2019, author Bruce Pascoe's Aboriginal identity was questioned by Bolt and some Aboriginal people from the groups he wrote about. However, Pascoe also received support from members of these groups and other well-known Aboriginal people. This debate led to fair-skinned Aboriginal people across the country being questioned about their Aboriginality.
In December 2019, a video went viral showing a fair-skinned Aboriginal man being confronted by two neighbors. The video showed a woman trying to pull down an Aboriginal flag, while questioning the man's Aboriginality and using racist slurs. Former Senator Nova Peris pointed out the contradiction, tweeting how the woman "in her rage... was adamant...they weren't Aboriginal" yet also told him to "go & live in a humpy on the river."
Why Census Numbers Are Growing
The number of people identifying as Indigenous has grown a lot since 1986, much faster than the overall population. This is due to several reasons:
- More people are willing to say they are Indigenous.
- Children of mixed families are more likely to identify as Indigenous.
- The census question allows people to say they have both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origins, but not both Indigenous and non-Indigenous origins. This might lead people of mixed Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal heritage to identify as Aboriginal.
- After the 2021 census, other reasons suggested include a higher fertility rate and less fear about identifying as Aboriginal, along with increasing pride in their identity.
In Australian cities, there are many mixed families. By 2002, it seemed that the differences in living standards between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups were getting smaller, especially in cities.
2021 Census Results
In the 2021 Australian census, 812,000 people identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. This is 3.2% of Australia's population. This was an increase from 2.8% in 2016 and 2.5% in 2011. Of these:
- 91.4% identified as Aboriginal.
- 4.2% identified as Torres Strait Islander.
- 4.4% identified as both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
However, the actual number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is estimated to be higher, around 952,000 to 1,000,000, which is almost 4% of the total population.
See Also
Other indigenous:
