Library Guides: Place & Liveability: Indigenous Australians & Place

Source: Ondrej Machart (2019)

First Nations Australians have a deep connection to the land (known as Country), and this connection forms the basis for their cultural traditions and way of life. The connectedness to the land extends from the past, and shapes both present and future land and natural resource management. Read through the resources below to learn more about First Nations Australians and their connection to Country.

Meaning of land to Aboriginal people (Creative Spirits, 2021, September 23)
Land means different things to non-Indigenous and Aboriginal people. The latter have a spiritual, physical, social and cultural connection. Land management and care are vital for Aboriginal health and provide jobs. Many Aboriginal artworks tell about the connection between people and their land. Read through this website to learn more.
The importance of land (Australians Together, n.d.)
For many Indigenous people in Australia, land is much more than soil, rocks or minerals. It’s a living environment that sustains, and is sustained by, people and culture. Before colonisation, the reciprocal relationship between people and the land underpinned all other aspects of life for Indigenous people. Today, this relationship with the land remains fundamental to the identity and way of life of many Indigenous people. Read through this article to learn more.
Why a connection to Country is so important to Aboriginal communities (SBS, 2017, August 3)
Despite being the most fundamental pillar of Indigenous identity, the connection that Aboriginal people feel to their country is one of the hardest concepts to explain to the layman. Read this article to hear about Indigenous woman Catherine Liddle's explanation of connection to Country.
Connection to animals and Country (Common Ground, 2021, January 15)
First Nations people are intimately connected to the natural world. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people refer to ‘Country’ - the lands, waters, skies, animals, plants and natural phenomena. Country goes beyond the physical too, and includes things that cannot be seen or touched. Animals are part of this relationship with Country. They play an important role in First Nations communities and are a foundation of economies, identity and sustainability. Read through this article to learn more.
Relationships to country: Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2008, March)
Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people have diverse relationships with, connections to and understandings of the Australian environment. Some of these relationships are based on the traditional knowledges and practices that have been passed down from generation to generation, while others have resulted from the various impacts of colonisation. Read through this two page document to learn more.
Connection to Country (National Museum of Australia, n.d.)
Why is Country important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people? How are language, Country and spirituality linked? Learn about the first peoples of Australia and the strong connection they have to the land with this short video.
Who is Country? (Australian Museum, 2021, July 9)
Read through this article from Indigenous woman Sara Kianga Judge to hear about her perspective of Country and what her connection to the land means for her.
Land rights (Australian Museum, 2020, October 7)
Land Rights refers to the struggle for legal and moral recognition of the ownership of the land and waterways that were home to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this country prior to the colonisation that occurred from 1788. Indigenous peoples' connection to Country is a major reason for the push for land rights, and this article explains why.

Books

Meerreeng-an : here is my country : the story of Aboriginal Victoria told through art by Chris Keeler, Vicki Louise Couzens & Koori Heritage Trust
Publication Date: 2010

Portrays the richness and diversity of Victorian Aboriginal culture through artworks and stories from the early 19th century to the present day. Over 340 artworks and artefacts are featured, from shields, baskets and possum skin cloaks to contemporary artworks dealing with the Stolen Generations, land rights and reconciliation. Old and new are woven together, demonstrating the continuation of culture, and words and phrases from Victorian Aboriginal languages are used throughout. Artists describe their own artworks, and stories and quotes from Elders and other community members provide cultural and historical context, telling of the importance of Country, of life before Europeans arrival, of invasion and dramatic change, of dislocation and missions, and of the survival and strength of the living culture.
Aboriginal Australia & the Torres Strait Islands : guide to indigenous Australia by Sarina Singh
Publication Date: 2001

For travellers who want to understand Australia's 50,000-year-old cultural tradition. More than 60 indigenous people have contributed to this guide, together with some of Lonely Planet's most experienced guidebook researchers. Includes an introduction to indignenous languages.
Macquarie atlas of Indigenous Australia : culture and society through space and time by William Arthur & Frances Morphy
Publication Date: 2005

An atlas is a way of representing, in graphic form, a human landscape - a pattern of human activities in space and time. This book opens up a window onto the landscape of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives, from 60,000 years ago to the present time.
Loving country : a guide to sacred Australia by Bruce Pascoe & Vicky Shukuroglou
Publication Date: 2020

Loving Country is a powerful and essential guidebook that offers a new way to travel and discover Australia through an Indigenous narrative. The authors show travellers how to see the country as herself, to know her whole and old story, and to find the way to fall in love with her, our home. Featuring 18 places in detail, from the ingenious fish traps at Brewarrina and the rivers that feed the Great Barrier Reef, to the love stories of Wiluna and the whale story of Margaret River, there is so much to celebrate. This immersive book covers history, Dreaming stories, traditional cultural practices, Indigenous tours and the importance of recognition and protection of place.