Australia is not only a vast country full of interesting places or interesting flora and fauna. It is a vast country known for its interesting people to. The people I am talking about are the indigenous populace of Australia, the Australian Aborigines or commonly known as Aborigines. The Australian Aborigines have actually become one reason why Australia has become a tourist magnet because the Aborigines have a different history as well as different culture and a different religious and natural interest compared to the typical Australian folk.
The Bangarra Dance Theatre is among Australia’s leader in terms of performance arts. They are responsible for producing and recreating live performances of contemporary indigenous dances, which incorporates indigenous culture as well as history. They actually tour the whole country but their main headquarters can be found in Sydney. Australia Day, which is celebrated every 26th day of January each year, is known to the Australian Aborigines not as Australian Day but as Invasion Day or Survival Day, an important day for political action for them. To celebrate this day, concerts and different community events are held to celebrate how the indigenous people have survived over the years. Another event that celebrated the indigenous people is headed by the National Aboriginal & Islander Observance Committee, an annual celebration held for a week every winter season. Aborigines are divided quite differently in Australia because more than 400 aboriginal nations exist there. You should not stereotype all Aborigine people because the Aborigine in one city is different as the Aborigine in another city. It is like the difference between an Irishman and an Italian.
The Aborigines in Australia are considered a different culture altogether, a culture that is both continuing and living. As tourists, we should not treat Aborigines as museum pieces. They do not exist for our benefit. Aboriginal townships, protest sites & communities are not created primarily as tourist attractions too so we should not be treating these places as such. Instead, we can work together and help these sacred sites & fragile cultural ecosystems thrive by arranging our trips via formal community programs. Unfortunately, despite their popularity, these Australian Aborigines live at a disadvantage compared to the other Australians in terms of education, employment and health. That is why, as a tourist, we should help keep their dignity & well- being by supporting cultural & tourism ventures which are directly ran by the Aborigines. We should likewise always treat them with respect.
Some tourists have experienced being “abused” by Aborigines. These Aborigines are called “Humbug”, those who ask for money and such and we should not be entertaining or catering to their requests. If you want to help the Aborigines, it is highly recommended that you help those who try to earn an honest living. You can either visit the aboriginal Art center or contribute to aboriginal charities like Conways Kids.
The Aborigines in Australia may be different in their traditions, stories, cultures & ideals but they are people too. We should treat them with utmost respect because they are among the nicest people the world has ever seen.