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The origins and culture of the Aborigines

The origins and culture of the Aborigines. The origins and culture of the Aborigines. SS6H8: The student will describe the culture and development of Australia prior to contact with Europeans. Who are the Aborigines?. Native Australians Ancestors were the first people to live in Australia

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The origins and culture of the Aborigines

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  1. The origins and culture of the Aborigines

  2. The origins and culture of the Aborigines SS6H8: The student will describe the culture and development of Australia prior to contact with Europeans.

  3. Who are the Aborigines? • Native Australians • Ancestors were the first people to live in Australia • First settled in northern Australia • Came from SE Asia as early as 50, 000 years ago • May have used boats or walked across land that once connected Australia to Asia • Aborigines means “from the very first”

  4. How DID the Aborigines live? • Formed many groups that lived in different parts of Australia • Spoke different languages and developed their own cultures • Lived and traveled in small groups called clans (1-5 families) • Hunted animals and gathered plants • Moved from place to place (Nomadic) • Made stone tools • Wore ornaments and waistbands but little clothing • Painted and carved wood • Wove bags, baskets, and mats • Worshiped nature and their ancestors

  5. How were the Aborigines IMPACTED by the British? • British people first arrived in what is now Australia in 1788 (Which century?) • About 750,000 Aborigines lived there • Many early settlers treated the Aborigines badly • Some Aborigines were killed, and many died of diseases carried to the continent by the British (Does this sound familiar?) • Today there are about 464,000 Australian Aborigines

  6. Aborigines TODAY • Most live in towns • Many of them are not treated fairly • Often cannot get good jobs, a good education, or a decent place to live • Several Aborigine groups have regained some of the land that once belonged to them • In 2008, the government of Australia apologized to the Aborigines for past injustices

  7. Captain James Cook • In 1770, an English explorer, Captain James Cook arrived in Australia. • He claimed the land for Great Britain. • Europeans were fascinated by his stories about Australia. • Many of them traveled to Australia to see the new land.

  8. Europeans come to Australia • Some went to Australia to hunt whales, seals, and other sea life. • Others came to trade with the Aborigines. • Most stayed temporarily. • They traded peacefully with the Aborigines but didn’t try to take their land.

  9. Guns, Alcohol, and Disease • Europeans brought advanced weapons to Australia which made wars between Aboriginal people more deadly. • Europeans brought alcohol which became very popular among the Aborigines. - Many abused the alcohol. - Fighting increased - Family structure weakened • Europeans also brought diseases which killed many of the Aborigines.

  10. The Prison Colony • In 1788, Britain sent one thousand people to settle in Australia. Most of them were prisoners. • As cities were growing in Great Britain, so did crime. Australia was used as a prison colony. • Prisoners performed hard labor until they finished their sentence. • Raised crops • Built roads. • Built buildings • Eventually, more than 150,000 British prisoners lived in Australia. • After they were released, many stayed and settled various towns along the Australian coast.

  11. Colonial Conflict • Australia was growing and colonists needed space. • They took the land from the Aborigines. • Hostility between white settlers and Aborigines increased. • Because of their advanced weapons, the British settlers usually won.

  12. GOLD! • In the late 1850’s, a gold rush began which brought tens of thousands of foreigners to Australia. • Fighting between the Europeans and Aborigines increased and led to racial discrimination. • Aborigines became poorer while white inhabitants grew richer.

  13. Australian Independence • In 1931, Great Britain passed a law giving Australia the right to be an independent nation. • Australia became an independent country in 1942 after it voted to accept the new law.

  14. Homework Imagine you are an aborigine. Write a one page letter to Great Britain why you think they should leave your land. Use information that you have learned about Great Britain’s impact on the Aborigines to defend your position.

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