People, Culture and Country

How many years have First Nations peoples been living in Australia?

How are Country, culture and people interconnected?

What can we learn from First Nations objects?

In this program students handle and explore a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander objects to help them understand the ways in which First Nations cultures have evolved and adapted in the last 200 years.

Aims

• Identify and understand connections to Country, ways First Nations people express culture and identify the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Discuss aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture including identity, diversity and spirituality.

Curriculum links

Cross-curriculum priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures

Country/Place

First Nations communities of Australia maintain a deep connection to, and responsibility for, Country/Place and have holistic values and belief systems that are connected to the land, sea, sky and waterways. (A_TSICP1)

The occupation and colonisation of Australia by the British, under the now overturned doctrine of terra nullius, were experienced by First Nations Australians as an invasion that denied their occupation of, and connection to, Country/Place. (A_TSICP2)

The First Peoples of Australia are the traditional owners of Country/Place, protected in Australian Law by the Native Title Act 1993 which recognises pre-existing sovereignty, continuing systems of law and customs, and connection to Country/Place. This recognised legal right provides for economic sustainability and a voice into the development and management of Country/Place. (A_TSICP3)

Culture

First Nations Australian societies are diverse and have distinct cultural expressions such as language, customs and beliefs. As First Nations Peoples of Australia they have the right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural expressions, while also maintaining the right to control, protect and develop culture as Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property. (A_TSIC1)

First Nations Australians’ ways of life reflect unique ways of being, knowing, thinking and doing. (A_TSIC2)

The First Peoples of Australia (Aboriginal Peoples) belong to the world’s oldest continuous cultures. First Nations Australians demonstrate resilience in the maintenance, practice and revitalisation of culture despite the many historic and enduring impacts of colonisation, and continue to celebrate and share the past, present and future manifestations of their cultures. (A_TSIC3)

People

Australia has 2 distinct First Nations Peoples; each encompasses a diversity of nations across Australia. Aboriginal Peoples are the first peoples of Australia and have occupied the Australian continent for more than 60,000 years. Torres Strait Islander Peoples are the First Nations Peoples of the Torres Strait and have occupied the region for over 4,000 years. (A_TSIP1)

First Nations Australians have sophisticated political, economic and social organisation systems, which include family and kinship structures, laws, traditions, customs, land tenure systems and protocols for strong governance and authority. (A_TSIP2)

The significant and ongoing contributions of First Nations Australians and their histories and cultures are acknowledged locally, nationally and globally. (A_TSIP3)