Ancient Australia: Family & Kinship

Kinship is a term that is used to describe how people relate to one other in different cultures. In Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, the concept of kinship is complex, and has wide implications in Indigenous life and social structure. Read through this website to learn more.

Kinship is at the heart of Indigenous society. A person’s position in the kinship system establishes their relationship to others and to the universe, prescribing their responsibilities towards other people, the land and natural resources. Traditional kinship structures remain important in many Indigenous communities today. Read through this website to learn more.

Kinship is at the heart of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture and Community. Kinship establishes where a person fits in their Community. Kinship looks different across communities and nations. It helps determine a person’s relationship to others and to the universe and their responsibilities towards other people and Country. Read through this website to learn more.

The notion of family in Aboriginal culture is closely tied to themes of connectedness and kinship. In this setting, family structures are pivotal to identity formation, understanding one’s own spiritual and cultural belonging, and assists in establishing strong links with community. Ultimately, family and kinship are a cohesive forced that bind Aboriginal people together. With over 500 Indigenous nations across Australia, there exists a vast array of Aboriginal communities. These nations are often made up of clan groups, and within these clan groups are family groups that often share a kinship system and common language (based on either patrilineal or matrilineal lines of decent). Traditionally, Aboriginal families were made up of a collaboration of clan groups, however in today’s terms this is known as ‘extended family’. Read through this website to learn more.