The Aborigine people of Australia are indigenous Australians who are said to be the first people of that continent. Anthropologists say that they have been living in Australia for at least 60, 000 years. This makes this indigenous Australian tribe one of the oldest in the world.
The way of life of the Aborigine people was well-established much before the Europeans occupied Australia around 1788. When the continent was occupied by the European colonizers, there were conflicts between them and the original inhabitations over land. Besides, the Europeans had little respect for the cultures of these people. They refused to accept the fact that there were other ways, other wisdoms, other histories, and other lives. Instead they tried to force their culture on the natives.
All the time of the European invasion, there were over 700 different indigenous languages spoken in Australia. The colonizers tried to wipe out indigenous language in various ways. The result is that now fewer than 250 languages are in are.
Perhaps the greatest attack on indigenous cultures and family life was the forced separation of indigenous children from their families. In Aboriginal society, the family unit is very important. In spite of that, the policy of forced assimilation, started in the late 1800s, continued till 1969.
During this period of assimilation, over one lakh indigenous children were taken away from their families and sent to special homes. They were completely cut off from their parents and siblings and were given new identities. The group of children who suffered such trauma were called the stolen Generation.’
For decades Australians had denied their past actions regarding Aborigines, the healing touch in Australian history might have finally begun.