As I have limited knowledge of Australia’s Aboriginal people I am researching to learn as much as I can. Yesterday I decided to do a basic search to acquire some basic information on Aboriginal peoples in Australia.
I was surprised to see National Geographic be one of the first results in an internet search. The link takes you to a recent article on Australian Aboriginals. The article centers around author Michael Finkel’s experiences with an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory.
What I found most interesting on this site was the link to a map showing Australia’s Aboriginal communities across the country. The map states that since the 1970s Australian Aboriginals have been returning to their ancestral homelands. The map also claims that this return ‘home’ sees healthier communities with lower rates of addiction and lifestyle related diseases. A stark contrast to the information presented in Pilger’s articles. The map highlights both the remoteness of the land as well as the low population of the land in comparison to other parts of Australia. These are interesting demographics to consider. Why is it that Aboriginal peoples seem to leave in isolation from Australian society?
A brief introduction to Australian Aboriginal peoples/land, and a good generator of questions about Australia’s Aboriginal peoples.