The material in the article gives students an idea of ​​the indigenous people of Australia. Forms an idea of ​​the ways of settlement of tribes. Indicates the negative aspects of the colonization of the continent by Europeans.

The Aborigines of Australia are considered the oldest civilization existing on the planet. These tribes are also among the least studied and least understood by humanity.

It is still not known exactly when and how the ancestors of the aborigines ended up on the mainland. What is known is that the indigenous population of Australia settled on these lands thanks to sea routes.

Rice. 1. Aborigines of Australia.

The Aboriginal people of Australia led a largely primitive way of life for many thousands of years. However, it cannot be stated unequivocally that the inhabitants of the continent were absolutely primitive peoples. The fact that the aborigines were not primitive is evidenced by the fact that they had their own religion. They formed a system of beliefs, as well as a mythology, which is called the “Dream Time”.

The Indians of Australia had ideas about astronomy.

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Features of the Aboriginal civilization of Australia

It is assumed that the aborigines were several tens of thousands of years behind Europe in their development. This backwardness is explained by factors such as:

  • distance from Europe;
  • specific climatic conditions.

Some tribes retained their characteristic way of life until the beginning of the twentieth century. Their settlements were located on the remote islands of the Australian north.

However, with the arrival white man The life of the Australian Aborigines has changed dramatically.

Rice. 2. English colonist.

During 2-3 years of active conquest of the continent by Europeans, more than half of all Australian aborigines who came into contact with newcomers from Europe died out from diseases and viruses unknown to them. The reason is that the indigenous people of Australia lacked natural immunity.

    The most common ailments from which the natives suffered and died were:
  • smallpox;
  • measles.

Today the situation has changed in better side. Since May 26, 1998, Australia has celebrated a "Day of Sorry" for Aboriginal Australians for all they have suffered.

For a long time, the Australian government did not express a desire to apologize to the Aborigines for injustice and policies to destroy their race.

Rice. 3. Aborigine with a boomerang.

The original inhabitants of the continent themselves prefer not to be called “aboriginals”. The reason is that they are all related to different tribes and are not happy when they are generalized under one term.

What have we learned?

It was possible to find out what explains the backwardness of the Australian tribes in comparison with the Europeans. Determine the factors that provoked the high mortality of the local population during the period of colonization. The reason for all the hardships and adversities that the indigenous population of the mainland had to face was revealed. How did the difficult times end for the Aborigines? What steps has the government taken to resolve the situation?

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In Australia, there has long been a debate about who is considered the indigenous people: the Australian Aborigines or the first settlers from Holland. The indigenous tribes of Australia are representatives of the most ancient and little-studied civilization on earth. Their way of life is so unique, and the history of the settlement of Australia is so mysterious that, to this day, the aborigines of this continent are considered the descendants of the first inhabitants of the planet.

Aborigines of Australia. Who are they?

It is believed that the indigenous tribes of the Australian continent sailed there across the sea about 50 thousand years ago. The very word “aboriginal” began to be used in relation to representatives of the tribes by the British, who, like the Dutch, set foot on the lands of Australia in order to gain a foothold on them forever.

An aborigine is an indigenous inhabitant of a territory who lives in a communal tribal system and has preserved the primitive way of life.

The Aborigines of Australia are considered the first seafarers. After all, they were able to get to new continent by sea. If Europeans had not set foot on new lands, the way of life of the aborigines would still remain unchanged.

Australia's largest tribal settlement is located in the arid Outback region. About 2,500 people live there. The aborigines today teach their children using radios; there are still no schools in the settlements. Medicine came to the tribes only in 1928.

What do Australian Aborigines look like?

From photographs taken by Europeans, one can judge the appearance of the indigenous peoples of the mainland as dark-skinned and dark-haired people, rather tall and thin in build.

The natives of the Solomon Islands are dark-skinned people with blond hair and a wide nose. For a long time it was believed that the blond hair of the tribes appeared due to connections with the first Europeans on the continent, but genetic analysis refuted this assumption.

All indigenous peoples of Australia can be divided into three types:

  • Barinean type tribes with the darkest hair;
  • Murray type tribesmen are of medium height with a lot of body hair;
  • Northern tribes with tall stature and very dark skin.

Scientists think that the continent was inhabited by Aborigines three times in total: there were three waves of seafaring migrants.

Aboriginal dialects and languages ​​of Australia

At the time of the arrival of the Dutch and English, more than 500 different dialects existed on the mainland. Today, every tribal community own languages. They can be counted at least 200, and writing exists only among a few tribes.

It is known that at present almost all the indigenous peoples of Australia have mastered the English language. Therefore, in 2007, a separate television channel was launched for them, where broadcasting is carried out exclusively on native language Shakespeare.

Australian Aboriginal traditions

Mount Uluru is a door between worlds for indigenous peoples. This place is considered sacred. Today, excursions to the red sandstone mountain are a popular attraction for tourists. In European language, the mountain, sacred to the tribes, is called Ayres; its age is impressive - the mountain is more than 6 million years old.

Representatives of indigenous tribes never climb the sacred mountain. Such an action is a terrible sacrilege for them. They perform rituals at the foot of the mountain. According to the aborigines, the spirits of ancestors live on this mountain formation, and the Gods descend there.

Local wars from different tribes with early years learn to use a boomerang. Ancient art seems simple only at first glance, but in fact it requires a certain skill.

Tribal music is played on primitive instruments. There is quite a bit of everyday music; mainly, the aborigines hold ritual songs and melodies in high esteem.

The discovery of the Australian Stonehenge confirmed the version that the Aborigines have long been versed in astronomy. The structure accurately reflects the movements of some stars, as well as the days of the equinoxes.

If anyone still has doubts about classifying Aborigines as the indigenous inhabitants of Australia, then they should remember that the first European navigator set foot on the continent only in the 17th century.

According to anthropological data, the aborigines of Australia are a type of Australoid large race. In appearance they are of medium to tall height, with dark hair that is thick and curly. They have thick lips and wide noses, medium-sized eyes. A feature of this race can be considered a protruding eyebrow. Until the 18th century, 1.2 million Aboriginal people lived in Australia. Scientists believed that they arrived on the mainland from Asia. It was also invaded by Europeans in the late 18th century, bringing colonization and disease with them. The indigenous population was not prepared for these processes and many aborigines died. Before colonization, they were engaged in hunting and fishing, and gathering fruits. Crafts such as pottery and weaving, and metal processing were not known to them.

Aboriginal language of Australia

Australia is developed country. In our time, Aboriginal people live on its territory, whose way of life remains unchanged. They do not know how to produce, do not use the achievements of civilization and even the calendar. Their culture is original. It has nothing in common with the population from other countries of the world. This is explained by the fact that Australia has lived in an isolated space for a long time. Each of the local tribes has its own language, and it is not similar to Asian dialects. Writing is developed among several tribes, and there are approximately 200 dialects of the language. For a long period of time, the indigenous population of the mainland lived on reservations. These were the most deserted areas where outsiders were not allowed. The population of reservations did not participate in the census.

At the end of the 19th century, the State of Victoria passed the Aboriginal Protection Act. This document was a set of legal norms regulating the lives of the indigenous population. And a century later, as a result of a referendum held in this country, the indigenous people of Australia were officially recognized as citizens of the state and received the right to free movement within the country. For many years, the Aborigines sought equal rights with the white population. Many of them moved to live in large cities. The country has launched programs to increase the birth rate and preserve cultural heritage Aboriginals. In 2007, they launched a television channel for the indigenous population of Australia. It is broadcast on English, since it is difficult to use 200 dialects at once.

Aboriginal life in Australia

In modern times, Aboriginal people are involved in tourism. For travelers who come to Australia and have a desire to visit its beauty, excursions to the reservation are organized. Tourists are shown the life and way of life of the indigenous population. It is different from our world. Australian Aborigines are the best guides. For travelers, performances are created with dance and song accompaniment, in addition, with the staging of rituals that are considered ritual by the indigenous population of Australia. The sale of souvenirs, hunting objects and wicker clothing is very developed in Australia. Interestingly, about ten thousand people inhabiting Australia are still at the Stone Age level. But it is only thanks to them that the pristine culture of Australia is preserved.

Cultural heritage

  • Paintings
    Art and design lovers are familiar with the canvases painted in the original ethnic technique, which is unique to the indigenous population. Each of the artists describes a different life in his painting. They call it spiritual reality or another life. It's different from modern society and reflects a spiritual connection with the world of the deities. The aborigines still call them the sun and the moon, as well as many animals.
  • Music
    Australian Aborigines are masters of making musical instruments. One of them is the didgeridoo instrument, which is a pipe with a length of 1 to 2 meters. Made from the trunk of a eucalyptus tree, eaten away by termites in the central part. Not everyone can play this instrument, as it requires practice, as well as a good respiratory system. As for the natives, they can easily play this trumpet for several hours in a row. As they play, they spice up the music with guttural sounds they make and, for added effect, imitating the sounds of animals and birds.
  • Dancing
    In their dances, the aborigines imitate the movements of the animals inhabiting the continent. These are kangaroos or snakes, wallabies. During the dance, they skillfully imitate their movements. Many of the dances are similar, they have musical accompaniment with playing sticks and didgeridoo. But not all dances are entertaining: some of them have a brightly ritualistic overtones.
  • Boomerang
    It was invented as a weapon by the indigenous people of Australia! Means “returning throwing stick” in their language. They used boomerangs for hunting, but also sometimes in local conflicts with other tribes. To return the boomerang to the owner's hands, you must have certain skills: throw it at an angle of certain indicators and hold it correctly, release it in time, taking into account the direction of the wind. A skillfully made boomerang should have cuts at the ends. He simply doesn’t come back without them. In addition, the Australian aborigines use throwing spears, and they throw them at a distance of up to 100 meters, expertly hitting a target the size of a coconut. The shields made by the indigenous people are narrow and are used for dances and ceremonies. Although they can be used as a defensive weapon.
  • Geography of settlements
    Where do the Aboriginal people of Australia live today? The largest group is in Queensland. In addition, Aboriginal people can be seen in Western Australia and New South Wales. There are few of them in Victoria. But the indigenous population, religiously observing their traditions and customs, is trying to escape civilization. For the most part, they act this way. Therefore, it is not surprising that they are concentrated in the desert regions of Australia and the Cape York Peninsula. These places are difficult to reach for an unprepared person.

Residents of each country have their own mentality. Different habits different character and different rules of behavior... This is what distinguishes the Japanese from the Chinese, Americans from the British, Ukrainians from Russians. Each nation has its own rich history, which goes back to the depths of time and shapes the appearance modern man. Who were the indigenous people of Australia and who lives in the country now? More about this.

The first mentions of the Australian continent date back to XVII century, but it was explored only a hundred years later - in 1770, James Cook landed on shore with an expedition. It is from this moment that it begins European history states. 18 years later, on January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip set foot on the shores of the continent and founded the first settlement - Sydney Cove. This date is still a big holiday in the country and is celebrated as Australia Day.

The history of the settlement of the continent cannot be called romantic: the first settlers were English prisoners, for whom there was simply no place in prison. They, led by Captain Arthur Phillip, began the exploration of Australia at the end of the 18th century.

After 100 years, the group of prisoners had grown into a fully mature society. Immigration was in full swing, with those wishing to live on the “new continent” flocking from all over the world. Australia became a full participant economic life Great Britain, even meat and wool were exported from there.

The authorities tried to introduce restrictions on those entering on the basis of race: for example, at one time, Asians were prohibited from immigrating here. But the restrictions did not bring results, so the audience was motley. Most visitors are of Asian, New Zealand, and English origin.

Of course, it is impossible to summarize the history of the formation of an entire nation in one short article. If you are interested in how the continent was explored by the British, we recommend watching this documentary, made by Australians about Australians.

Since the settlement of the British, the problems of the indigenous people of Australia began. Initially, the number ranged, according to various sources, from 300 thousand to 4 million people, but with the appearance on the mainland of not the most intelligent Englishmen with a criminal record, the number of aborigines began to decline sharply.

Indigenous people of Australia: how did the oldest civilization fall?

So who were the owners of the continent before Arthur Phillip appeared on it? The indigenous people of Australia are also called Bushmen. There is a theory according to which it was the Bushmen who ancient people on Earth. Civilization dates back more than 70 thousand years! The indigenous people of Australia are divided into three distinct types, and more than 500 languages ​​were spoken on the continent when Europeans landed. The main occupations of the Australians were hunting, gathering, and construction.

The indigenous inhabitants of Australia belong to the race of the same name - Australoids, their facial features are appropriate: dark skin (but lighter than that of Negroids), a wide nose, lush hair, very dark and curly

The aborigines also had a religion, according to which God is nature and all the phenomena that surround man. Mountains, trees, water are sacred things in which the spirit of powerful gods is hidden.

How do the indigenous people of Australia live today?

The paradox is that Aboriginal descendants could not become Australian citizens until 1967. Until this time, they lived in special reservations - villages where access to outsiders was closed. They were not taken into account even in the population census. Only half a century ago, the indigenous people of Australia received the right to choose their place of residence and move around the country. Not everyone, however, left the reservation. Moreover, some of them never reached civilization. About ten thousand descendants of the ancient Australoids still live without knowing writing, English, or modern technology.

Most of the aborigines have dispersed throughout the country; you can meet them in any city. Some work in the tourism industry: they entertain tourists with excursions to fake tribes or real reservations, where the life and way of historical times have been preserved.

As souvenirs you can buy a variety of things supposedly made by the hands of the aborigines. In fact, you rarely come across truly authentic things; usually, under their guise, they are sold in an ordinary village “mass market”. We wrote an article about what souvenirs to buy in the country. Some of them may be no less interesting. Check out the list of the best souvenirs from Australia.

Not far from Australia, in New Zealand there are also aborigines. They are called Maori, which translates as “natural, real.” These tribes are remembered as brave people who defended their rights like no other.

Unfortunately, among the aborigines who moved to large cities, there are many representatives of marginal sections of the population. A large percentage of the crimes committed in the country are attributed to them; Among the descendants of ancient people, alas, drug addicts and drinkers are often found.

Modern inhabitants of Australia: who are they?

Local residents of Australia are full of different types, skin and eye colors. This picture is completely unusual for a tourist from Russia, because in our country we only see people who are similar to us. Everything is mixed up here, so no matter how you look, you will never catch a single sideways glance on yourself. For the same reason, representatives of different faiths coexist peacefully in the country. Religions were distributed as follows: 26% of the local population of Australia are Protestants, 19% are Catholics, the rest are less than 5%.

The country, by local standards, has very cheap food. This played a cruel joke on the residents: obesity is very common on the sunny continent.

The number of local residents in Australia is just over 24 million people. This is data for 2016. By 2030, an increase to 28 million is expected. The birth rate here is the highest in the world: on average there are 1.9 children per woman. The average life expectancy is also one of the highest - more than 80 years. The majority of Australians, of course, come from England. Next come visitors from New Zealand and Italy. There are very few indigenous people in Australia, less than 5%.

The largest city in Australia in terms of population is Sydney, but there are many Asians among them, which is why the city cannot be called prosperous and comfortable for living.

Nevertheless, there is a lot to see in Sydney, you just need to know where to go. To find out what attractions to see in largest city continent, so as not to constantly bump into migrant workers - read. In it we have collected the most interesting sights of Sydney

What do Australians do?

In the country high level life: the purchasing power of the average citizen is $3,000 per month. This means that life is not aimed at constantly making money. Local residents of Australia devote a lot of time to self-development, hobbies, active and passive recreation.

There is no excessive desire to look good. They dress “newly” only for work and on important occasions. The rest of the time, due to the hot weather, it is impossible to constantly look chic.

It's not just about the weather, but also about the mentality: the local residents of Australia are approximately equally well off, so they do not seek to prove anything to anyone, but only live in pleasure. Accordingly, no one tries to dress pretentiously and expensively. It is not easy to distinguish an employee from a millionaire.

The hobbies of Australian residents are directly related to environment. Are there a lot of rocks around? Great, let's climb them! Is there an ocean all around? Just great, grab your surfboard! No snow at all, but tons of sand in the desert? What's the problem, let's invent a snowboard on the sand!

This sport is called "snedboarding". It proves that the lack of snow is not a hindrance to true extreme sports enthusiasts. The rules are the same as in snowboarding: slide on the board. The only difference is that instead of snow there are dunes, and instead of a warm suit there is a T-shirt and shorts.

Another hobby of Australians is gambling and horse racing. This is understandable: when people do not feel a constant lack of money, it is easy to waste it.

The local people in Australia are called "Ozzy". Or rather, that's what they call themselves. Being an Ozzy means getting confused about the words of the National Anthem, boasting a beer belly, and not giving a damn about what's going on in the rest of the world.

In general, Australians have quite a lot of strange character traits. It is these features that form the rules of conduct for tourists in Australia. So that you know how to behave in this distant country, we have collected all the rules

Roughly speaking, the Universe for Ozzie is limited to the ocean. Where the continent ends, everything that can worry local residents ends. If you suddenly told a resident of Australia that a lot of interesting and interesting things are happening outside the continent important events– most likely, he would have grinned and bluntly stated that he was not interested. Here, as a rule, they do not stand on ceremony and speak directly as it is. But, nevertheless, I don’t want to be offended by the charming, simple-minded Ozzies at all.

Australian Aboriginals

Australian Aboriginals



David Unaipon, Noel Pearson, Ernie Dingo, David Gulpilil, Jessica Mauboy, Cathy Freeman
Current distribution area and numbers
Religion
Racial type
Related peoples

Aboriginal handicrafts

The population is 437 thousand (2001, census), including 26.9 thousand people. in the Torres Strait Islands. Torres Strait Islander Aboriginal people are culturally distinct from other Aboriginal people in Australia, having many similarities with Melanesians and Papuans.

Nowadays, most Aboriginal people rely on government and other charity. Traditional methods of subsistence (hunting, fishing and gathering; among some of the Torres Strait Islanders - manual farming) have been almost completely lost.

Before the arrival of Europeans

The settlement of Australia occurred from 70-50 to 30 thousand years ago. The ancestors of Australians came from Southeast Asia (mainly along the Pleistocene continental shelf, but also overcoming at least 90 km of water barriers). The additional influx of settlers who arrived by sea about 5 thousand years ago is probably associated with the appearance of the dingo dog and a new stone industry on the continent. Before the start European colonization The culture and racial type of Australians have undergone significant evolution.

Colonial period

By the time of the arrival of Europeans (18th century), the number of aborigines was about 2 million, united in more than 500 tribes, which had a complex social organization, various myths and rituals and spoke more than 200 languages.

Colonization, accompanied by the targeted extermination of Australians, land dispossession and displacement into environmentally unfavorable areas, and epidemics, led to a sharp decrease in their numbers - to 60 thousand in 1921. However public policy protectionism (with late XIX century), including the creation of government-protected reservations, as well as material and medical care(especially after the 2nd World War) contributed to the growth in the number of Australians.

By the mid-1990s, the Aboriginal population reached approximately 257 thousand people, representing 1.5% of the total population of Australia.

Astronomical and cosmological concepts in Aboriginal mythology

Australian Aborigines believed that there was not only our physical reality, but also another reality inhabited by the spirits of our ancestors. Our world and this reality intersect and mutually influence each other

One of the places where the world of “dreams” and real world, is the sky: the actions of ancestors are manifested in the appearance and movement of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars, however, the actions of people can also affect what is happening in the sky.

Despite the fact that the Aborigines have certain knowledge about the sky and objects in it, as well as individual attempts to use celestial objects for calendar purposes, there is no information that any of the Aborigine tribes used a calendar associated with the phases of the moon; Celestial objects were not used for navigation either.

Current situation

Currently, the growth rate of the Aboriginal population (due to high birth rates) significantly exceeds the Australian average, although the standard of living is significantly lower than the Australian average. In 1967, the civil rights previously granted to Aboriginal people were enshrined in law. Since the late 1960s. A movement is developing for the revival of cultural identity, for the acquisition of legal rights to traditional lands. Many states have enacted laws providing for the collective ownership of reserve lands by Australians under self-government conditions, as well as protecting their cultural heritage.

Famous representatives of the Australian Aborigines are the artist, writer David Unaipon, footballer David Wirrpanda, TV presenter Ernie Dingo, actor and storyteller David Galpilil (Gulpilil), singer Jessica Mauboy (of mixed Australian-Timorese descent).

Since 2007, it has existed in Australia, operating along with other broadcasts for the national communities of the country SBS (broadcasts in 68 languages, including Russian). These programs, which began as domestic broadcasts, are now available throughout the world with the development of the Internet. Although National Aboriginal Television of Australia operates in English due to the limited development of Aboriginal dialects, it provides domestic and international audiences with the opportunity to learn Aboriginal languages ​​through televised lessons launched in 2010.

Aboriginal culture in film

  • - “The Last Wave”, a film by famous Australian director Peter Weir
  • - “Rabbit Cage” (eng. Rabbit-proof fence), talks about attempts to “re-educate” Australian Aboriginal children.
  • - “Ten Boats”, from the life of the Australian aborigines, which enjoyed success in the world film distribution and was even awarded a special prize at the Cannes Film Festival. All the actors in the film were Aboriginal and spoke their native language, Yolngu Matha.

See also

Notes

Literature

  • Artyomova O. Yu. Personality and social norms in an early primitive community according to Australian ethnographic data. M., 1987
  • Artyomova O. Yu. Past and present of indigenous Australians // Races and Peoples, vol. 10. M., 1980
  • Berndt R.M., Berndt K.H. The World of the First Australians, trans. from English M., 1981
  • Cabo V.R. Origin and early history Australia. M., 1969
  • Lockwood D. I am an Aborigine, trans. from English M., 1969
  • McConnell W. Myths of Munkan, trans. from English M., 1981
  • Rose F. Aborigines of Australia, trans. with him. M., 1981
  • Elkin A.P. Indigenous Peoples of Australia, trans. from English M., 1952
  • The Cambridge Encyclopeadia of Hunters and Gatherers. Cambridge, 1999 (I.VII, Australia, p.317-371)
  • The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia. Vol.I-II. Canberra, 1994

Links

  • //
  • // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional ones). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

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