ABOIGINAL AUSTRAILANS

The ABORIGINALS settled the Australian continent more than 40,000 years ago. They lived in total isolation from the rest of the world, existing by hunting and gathering. In the 18th century, the Europeans arrived,forcing the Aboriginals off their territories. Today, many feel isolated from white society, but still try to preserve their tribal identity.

Ways of life 
 Traditionally, Aboriginals lived by hunting and gathering. They were nomadic, roaming over large stretches of territory, setting up temporary camps near watering places, and moving on when food  supplies were exhausted. They traded eith other tribes, exchanging goods such as spears.

Dreamtime
The aboriginals believe that Dreamtime is a period when Ancestral Beings shaped the land, creating all species and human beings. These beings are believed to be a part of nature, closely associated with all other living things. Images of spirits of Dreamtime, such as lightning Man, cover scared cliffs and caves in tribal areas.





Uluru (Ayers Rock) 
Aboriginals believe that the Ancestral beings created the Australian landscape, and established customs and traditions still followed today. They have left evidence of their presence in the many scared places,such as Uluru in central Australia. This is revered as a scared place by the local Aranda people.Once called Ayers Rock by the Australian government, the rock regained its Aboriginal name in 1988. 

Hunters and Gathering
Aboriginals lived by hunting animals such as kangaroos, and supplemented their diet with wild plants, nut, and berries. The hunters used spears with stone blades and wooden  boomerangs, a type of missile that flies back to the thrower . Some tribes developed an elaborate sign language, so that they could send silent messages to each other when they were stalking game.

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Aboriginals today
European colonists arrived in Australia in 1788, and displaced Aboriginal tribes from their territory. Today, there are about 250,000 Aboriginals in Australia, many of whom live in urban areas. Although there is still discrimination, Aboriginals are to assert their civil rights.

 Education
During early contact with the Europeans, Aboriginal languages were lost or fell into disuse. In 1972, the government established a bilingual education programme. Many children are now taught in their tribal languages before learning English. Books, radio, and television broad casts are all avilable in many Aboriginal languages.