Indigenous Studies Series - Family and Communities

Just as there is variety in skills, experiences, traditions and beliefs amongst non-Aboriginal people in Australia, there is much diversity amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in their context, ambition and experience. The traditions of family and community may vary across the Aboriginal nations of Australia but these traditions are still strongly embedded in those communities.

The importance of family and kinship relationships, as well as the responsibilities and obligations that these relationships bring with them, are common threads that bind together the diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia. In addition, for Indigenous people there is no separation between the living environment, the land and the person so country has a very different meaning for Aboriginal people.

The arrival of the British in Australia caused enormous suffering to Indigenous Australians as the land was taken from them and families and communities were decimated and broken up by harsh and cruel colonial practices. That so much of Indigenous culture remains is due to the enduring strength of families and communities and the determination to maintain the bonds that tie communities together.

This book provides readings and activities that enable students to gain some small insights and this understandings into the strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait families and communities. Teachers are encouraged in the first instance to engage with local Indigenous Australian communities who may wish to tell their stories.