Australian Indigenous Culture: Media Perception and Cultural Validity

This essay delves into the complex relationship between Australian Aboriginal culture and its portrayal in the media. It begins by defining Aboriginal people and their historical significance, emphasizing their status as the oldest continuous culture on Earth. The discussion section examines various perspectives on Aboriginal culture, including debates about their origins, languages, and social structures. The essay explores how media representations shape public understanding, often contrasting these portrayals with the realities of Aboriginal life, traditions, and challenges. It highlights the impact of colonization, discrimination, and the ongoing struggle for cultural recognition and preservation. The essay analyzes the validity of media characterizations, considering how they reflect or misrepresent Aboriginal perspectives and experiences. Finally, the essay stresses the importance of understanding Aboriginal culture and the need for accurate and respectful media representations.

Essay

Table of Contents
TITLE..............................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
DISCUSSION..................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

TITLE
The key tile of the topic is Australian indigenous people still possessing the oldest culture
on the earth, how media perceive this culture and define to the public, are all characteristics
which is defined by the media are valid characterisation of Aboriginal culture?
INTRODUCTION
Aboriginal people are the first, native, indigenous or autochthonous people, there are also
known as ethics group who are come down from and find with the original inhabitants of the
particular region or country. They have colonised, occupied and settled that area more recently
from where they are living for many decades. They are known as Aboriginal when they follow
their old traditions and early cultured which is related to their own region. They not only follow
these characteristics but they also follow the old language, dresses and religion. They are
generally historical associated, with their own specific territory on which they are depended for
the resources and shelter. These people are found in every country and climate zone in the world.
The world international Aboriginal people's day have been celebrated on 9th August of every
year. Nowadays these people are having threat of their well being and sovereignty with that they
also have threat of resources which they access and that are according to the culture dependency.
By analysing these situations, several rights have been given to them so that they can maintain
their well being and move towards their development. The rights which is given to them are
based on their identity, culture, employment, language, natural resources and education. The
total population of indigenous people in the world are from the 220 million to 350 million. In
this 20th century, the term Aboriginal people have been used to describe as a regulatory category
for the indigenous law which is made by the national and international laws. This refers to
culture distinct person which is affected by the colonization. They are form at non-dominant
sectors of the society and are also determined to transmit, develop and preserve to the coming
generation. Australia's Aboriginal people are the person who are members of Aboriginal race of
Australia. It is made with the help of membership and it is done because they want to maintain
their island of Tasmania.
DISCUSSION
According to the view of Eller, (2016) Aboriginal Australia's is the Strait Island people
which leave in Australia and the surrounding island prior to the British colonization. When these
people have arrived in the Australia's, it has become the topic for debate for the people of the
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country as well as for the researcher. There are lot of commonalities between the indigenous
Aboriginal Australians with that there are large number of diversity among the different
indigenous societies and communities of the Australia. Every colonies and societies are the
mixture of language, culture and customs. In the recent time these colonies are divided into local
colonies. When the European was settled, there have been more than 250 languages were
spoken, and now there are 120 to 145 are still remained, from them 13 have not been included in
endangered. These people generally speak English now with that some vocabulary and phases of
Aboriginal Australian is also used by them. In the contradicting view of Fisher, (2016) The
population of these people have been estimated by the researcher are from the 318000 to
1000000. The separate Flag have been made for these people which is named as Torres Strait
Islander Flag and which is had been considered among the Flag of Australia. These people are
also called as Australoid race, where they have large differences in culture, linguistic customs
and social from the other people of Australia. The word Australoid have been identified in the
16th century which is known as earliest of first known and indigenous people are people who
have been known the earliest on the earth. After that it have become the Latin word that is
Aboriginals. Aboriginals are the people who assess negative connotations in the particular
community,these people are generally regarded as offensive or insensitive. The Aboriginal
people also includes Torres Strait Island people which have been accepted since 1980's.
As per view of Goldfinch and Kennedy, (2017) These people include many regional
group which have different languages. The religion and language includes in the indigenous
people of Australia are Murrawarri people, Koori, Ngunnawal. Goorie, Murrdi, Murri, Nyungar,
yamatji, Wanhai, Nunga, Anangu, Yapa etc. These people have been colonised in the year 1788
with the British. These all people collectively inhabiting the continent. The sole administrative
and legal creation for inclusion in this class was race which is according to their physical
characteristics. These larger group then sub divided into Anangu and this activity have been
done before the British arrival and at that time the population was 318000 to 750000 which is
across all over the continent. In the contradicting view of Kirkham and Moore, (2017) Torres
Strait Islander have cultural history and heritage and that have been posses from the Aboriginal
people's traditions. The Eastern part of Torres Strait Islander particularly have Papuan person of
New Guinea who speaks papuan language. They have been considered as the Indigenous
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Australian not the Aboriginal Australian. From the indigenous Australian, 6% are torres Strait
Islander and 4% are both Aboriginal and torres Strait Islander.
According to the view of Kirkhamand Moore, (2017) Aboriginal Australians are the
biological group of the first people who live in the state Africa for up to 750000 years ago, this
have been founded by the generic study that these people have made the oldest culture on the
earth. Professor Eske Willerslev of the Copenhagen University have made study and concluded
that the Aboriginal Australians are the First modern people to transom unknown places in the
Australia and Asia, which have most truly amazing Journey which must be needed exceptional
bravery and skills for the survival. The Murdoch University and Western Australia University's
expert were included in the international team in order to analyse the DNA of their hair, from
that analysis they have founded that these people have no hereditary part from the European
immigrants to Australia. From that evaluation, it has been evaluted that they have perfect DNA
in order to look at the part of Aboriginal migrants. With the contradicting point of view of Lake,
(2017) With the study of DNA, the researcher have eventuated that the Ancestors of the
Australia's indigenous people have been split from the modern people population in order to
leave the Africa from 64000 to 750000 years ago. From the Above study it is clearly analysed
that these are people who have been the oldest living culture in the globe. Australians people are
truly world's great population as well as they are very ancient which that they were having large
and deep contact with the Asian region and Australian continent.
According to the view of Meredith, (2017) the other study have made by the American
people and stated in the Journal of American human Genetics, the researcher have analysed that
when the ancestors the aboriginal Australian have been crossing from the Asia, they had been
inter-crossed with the people of Siberian and then that people have been called as the
Denisovans. They have also analysed the DNA of the Siberian people which was selection from
the finger bone . At the time when the Siberian was having very low temperature, DNA was
tested. From that DNA analysis, it has been identified that Aboriginal Australians have been
migrated from the Sub tropical parts of Australia and Africa from more than 42000 years ago.
After evaluating the DNA by the researcher of the Harvard medical school in the US and Plank
institute of Evolutionary Anthropology in the Germany, they both have been concluded that
these people have been migrated from the Siberia and sub tropical parts of Asia. In contradicting
view of Nagle and Schurr, (2016) When they have to make linkage between the Aboriginal
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Australians and Denisovans, the study have been made for the two population of Aboriginal
from which one have been from the Northern Territory and the other was from the Asia. From
this research it has analysed that these people have been as the modern human in the South-East
Asia from the 22000 years ago.
According to the view of Robinson, (2017) The Australia's Aboriginal people are already
having the tag of the oldest continuing culture on the Earth, before giving the conformation by
the scientist by analysing their DNA of the Australia's aboriginal people. The culture and
tradition of the Aboriginal people have been seen from the Eurocentric gaze. There are several
cultural values on which different stories have been made which is illustrated to the children as
well. These stories have given the deeper meaning and codes to the people of country. These
stories do not contain the story of only tale but it also includes several aspects such as parables
of bible, message about the significance of transferring of resources in the hunter and gatherer
society with that it also tells the causes and consequences of selfishness. In the today's world, the
farmers are using the different technology and methods in order to do farming whereas these
indigenous people used very extensive and sophisticated method to do farming. The Walgett
have been using the grind Seeds in order to grow vegetable and fruits in the Western New South
Wales since 30000 years ago. They have started baking of food from 170000 BC so they have
given the title of Global largest Baker. Now these people are having the threat from the modern
culture, this fact alone can prove the different position of Australia's Aboriginal culture.
In the contradicting view of Roose, (2016) the basic problem they have faced that the
people of European are not aware that what they are looking for when they are observing the
Aboriginal Australia's culture. The citizen of the country was having the blind believe on their
belies and racial superiority with their arrogant perception that they are inferior to the indigenous
people, with that they do not identify the culture and tradition the aboriginal people. The book
was written by the Bill Gammage on the Biggest Estate on Earth which includes different sketch
and pictures which is of the first colonial and that painting is made with the landscape of the
Sydney basin as well as it includes farmers landscape which consist of tracks of land which is
specially for the Grazing animals. They have also identified the other aspects of Aboriginal
cultural practice which is again looked in the era of colonial. It shows the sophisticated practice
of fishing which made as the permanent structure.
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According to the view of Savigni (2016) The other example of Indigenous people in
Australia's existence is the heavy practice of burning the fire. This have gained the broader
consideration from conservationists, pastoralists and the related parties who have started to
understand and adopt the culture of Aboriginal Australians. These people have lived around
60000 years in order to maintain their ecosystem in effective way so that they can reduce natural
hazards such as landslide, flood, earthquake etc. Like there are colonised and dispossessed
people around the world, the Aboriginal people and colonies also faces several social issues such
as poverty, poor health, high rates of incarceration and homelessness, with that they were having
lots of other issues such as violence, substance abuse etc. With these activities made by the
citizen, they are still in existence which state that they are strong, violent and uncivilised. In the
contracting view of Eller, (2016) The government have stated that the indigenous people are not
the part of solution, they are the part of problem for the people who live in the country. This
analysis have stated that Aboriginal people are strong and there are more positive solution from
them such as they protect the country from the different environmental hazards. The government
have started controlling them and making the colonies so that they can serve them proper
education and develop their living standard. This technique which is selected by the government
have made the indigenous people smarter and educated. In order to achieve success in other
ways, it is significant to make connections with the different culture which generate innovative
ideas and this will serve as pride for the nation.
According to the View of Fisher, (2016) The Australian media is the print media and it is
not diverse enough. It has connected with the 3 owners that are Fairfax media, News limited and
APN News which hold more than 98% of that sector and two of then hold 88% share of this
sector. Both of the country UK and US have major 3 corporations but they only control 62% of
UK and 26% of US of the circulation. Due to this, the country does not get the variety of original
news. With that the country does not get proper facts and figures about the Aboriginal Australia's
and what problems indigenous people are facing in the country. The president of Indigenous
social Justice Association Ray Jackson states that the media of the country put their news of
issues faced by the indigenous people on the front page of the newspaper, but when it comes to
the spun into the report they show the negative aspects of the indigenous people which state that
indigenous people are not good sign for the country. The relationship between the indigenous
people and the mainstream is in the trouble which is state by the Brooke Boney of the SBS news.
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The indigenous people state that when they want to have conversation with the media, then the
media does not listen to them and does not look at their problems, so they was feeling hesitation
to have conversation with the mainstream media and keep their issues with themselves. In the
contracting view of Indigenous Traditions-Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders,
(2016) state that a survey was made in the year 2015, communicates that there were more than
350 articles was made on the indigenous people and that was published in the period of 12
months. This research state that the 75% of the articles was negative, 15% was positive and 11%
was neutral. This is the result of the stereotyping, the people do not accept the activities made by
the indigenous people. These all activities have lower down the image of the indigenous people
in the eye of whole world and citizen of the country. The people of the country does not accept
the positive issues of the indigenous people such as Injustice, racism, ignorance and
misconceptions. The reason behind these issues are the citizen of the country does not accept and
understand the different genuine stories of the indigenous people.
According to the view of Mainstream media coverage of Aboriginal issues, (2017)
Journalist, writer and editor does not have proper knowledge about the culture, traditions and
language if the Aboriginal Australia's. The people of the country are facing shame and guild
about what the indigenous people are facing and what have happened to them after invasion. The
media do not understand the emotions of the indigenous people and just talk negative things
about them which shows that they have taken effective decision that is removal of indigenous
people of the country. In the contracting view of Indigenous Australia, (2016) If the media do
understand the emotion of the people then it will be good news for the country, then they can
show positive aspects of the indigenous people and then government can try to resolve the issues
faced by indigenous people in the Australia in order to enhance their living standard. It is better
when the citizen of the people understand the problems faced by the indigenous people, it will
help them to enhance the living standard of the country. The media should make positive
relationship with the indigenous people so that they can show what the issues they are facing and
with the help of these activities they can get assistance from the government in order to enhance
their eduction, reduce poverty and assess resources.
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CONCLUSION
From the report it is concluded that Australia's have made the colonization of the
indigenous people so that they serve them better eduction and facilities in order to enhance the
living standard of the country. But media is playing very negative role for the indigenous people,
they just do not want to understand the emotions of them, because they feel shame for the
condition of Aboriginal Australian after the invasion and colonisation. The media and
indigenous people are not able to make a healthier relationship because the media is not able to
understand their culture and traditions.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Eller, J. D., 2016. Cultural anthropology: global forces, local lives. Routledge.
Fisher, L., 2016. Aboriginal Art and Australian Society: Hope and Disenchantment (Vol. 1).
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Goldfinch, T. and Kennedy, J., 2017. Australian engineering educators’ attitudes towards
Aboriginal cultures and perspectives. European Journal of Engineering Education. pp.1-
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infant care workers: bringing a cultural dimension to a critique of the ideal worker
concept. Community, Work & Family. pp.1-17.
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Lake, M., 2017. The bible in Australian history and culture. St Mark's Review. (240). pp.12.
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Meredith, D., 2017. The Cambridge History of Australia, ed. Alison Bashford and Stuart
McIntyre. The English Historical Review.
Nagle, N., and Schurr, T. G., 2016. Mitochondrial DNA diversity of present-day Aboriginal
Australians and implications for human evolution in Oceania. Journal of human genetics.
Norris, R. P., 2016. Dawes Review 5: Australian Aboriginal Astronomy and Navigation.
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Robinson, H., 2017. Is cultural democracy possible in a museum? Critical reflections on
Indigenous engagement in the development of the exhibition Encounters: Revealing
Stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Objects from the British Museum.
International Journal of Heritage Studies. pp.1-15.
Roose, J. M., 2016. Muslims in Australia. In Political Islam and Masculinity. Palgrave
Macmillan US.
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Savigni, D., 2016. Alternative Medicines Based on Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge and
Culture. Australian Native Plants: Cultivation and Uses in the Health and Food
Industries. pp.175.
Stefanelli, R. D. and Hart, C., 2017. Experiences with integrative Indigenous and Western
knowledge in water research and management: a systematic realist review of literature
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Online
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confirms>[Accessed on 22 September 2017]
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[Online].Available
through:<http://www.abc.net.au/religion/stories/s790117.html>[Accessed on 22
September 2017]
Mainstream media coverage of Aboriginal issues, 2017.[Online].Available
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aboriginal-issues>[Accessed on 22 September 2017]
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