Aboriginal People and European Settlement SS6H4: Explain the impact of English colonization on current Aboriginal basic rights, health, literacy, and language.

Original Owners of Uluru and keeping traditions alive The Anangu people are the traditional owners of Uluru and the surrounding lands. They believe it's their job to protect this sacred place. When European explorers saw Uluru around 150 years ago, they claimed ownership of it and renamed it Ayers Rock. Click here to watch about the Anangu. Click here to watch how traditions are kept alive.

Who are the Aborigines? The Aborigines, Australia’s original human inhabitants, migrated to the continent around 40,000 to 60, 000 years ago. The Aborigines had a nomadic hunter-gatherer way of life. They created the earliest boomerangs, digeridoos, as well as a primitive form of rock art.

The Secret of Dreaming

European contact Even though there was European contact with Australia in 1606, Captain James Cook of England in1770 claimed the continent for the British Crown. The first British colony in Australia was established at Botany Bay, near present-day Sydney. Superior weaponry and spreading of disease, like smallpox decimated the Aboriginal population.

SmallPox Smallpox was one of the most deadly diseases in history, let alone Australia. Smallpox was a new disease which Aborigines had no protection from. It is estimated that over half of the indigenous people of Australia died due to smallpox.

Why Australia? James Cook claimed Australia in After the American Independence, Britain had to send their prisoners somewhere. Britain began to send them to New South Wales. Australia remained a prison colony until 1868.

Aborignial way of life After European contact, Aboriginal way of life was changed forever. Once the dominant people of Australia, the Aborigines today account for less than 3% of the total population. English has become the dominant language of the continent; only around 48,000 people speak an indigenous language in Australia today. Aboriginal peoples were not granted voting rights until 1965 and were not even counted as part of the national census until 1967

Quality of life for current aborigines Aboriginal life expectancy is, on average, ten years lower than for non-Aborigines. They suffer higher levels of crime, health problems, literacy rate, and educational under-achievement. It is getting better, but it is still a struggle which is why Australia has a national Sorry Day.