Being curious and willing to learn is a key step towards reconciliation and healing.
How many Indigenous languages are spoken in Australia? How many of those languages are in danger of disappearing? And why are so many First Nations kids – some as young as 10 – being locked up at a rate that is 29 times more than their non-Indigenous peers?
- Who are the First Peoples of Australia?
- What is the correct term for the first Custodians of Australia?
- What was life like before the British Invasion?
- What happened when the Europeans came to Australia?
- What’s the situation like now?
- How do First Nations people fight for change?
- What can I do?
1. Who are the First Peoples of Australia?
First Nations Peoples are not one group but rather, comprise of over 5,000 groups from more than 90 Countries and with more than 7,000 unique languages, histories and traditions. Together, First Nations Peoples form the oldest continuous cultures on the planet.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) People are the first peoples of Australia, the proud custodians of the land that we live on and keepers of one of the oldest continuous cultures on the planet.
Since the European invasion in 1788, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have fought for their rights, including the right to make decisions for their families, community, and their Country.
Before colonisation, there were over 250 Indigenous languages in Australia, including 800 dialects. Today, at least 120 Indigenous languages are spoken, and whilst First Nations People are working to revive and preserve their languages, the majority are considered endangered.
To get started on your learning, check out these resources from First Languages Australia – the national peak body working to ensure the strength of all Indigenous languages:
- 50 Words: teaches you 50 words in every Indigenous language. A project in partnership with the University of Melbourne.
- Gambay First Languages map: a map of Australia’s first languages that reflects the names and groupings favoured by community, working with regional language centres.
2. What is the correct term for the first Custodians of Australia?
As the world around us evolves, so does the language we use. Whether it’s used consciously or unconsciously, certain language can keep harmful views alive, but it can also change to reflect our values and help us build a more compassionate society.
First Nations is a collective name for the original people of Australia and their descendants and is used to emphasise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples lived on this continent before European invasion and colonisation.
The collective term, First Nations, is used interchangeably with the terms Indigenous and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. However, different communities prefer some terminology over others.
Given the diversity of First Nations cultures and identities across Australia, you should always seek advice directly from First Nations People to be as specific as possible about their cultural identity and or language group.
Various resources such as our Inclusive Language Guide can help you keep up with language – and if you’re still not sure, it’s always okay to ask!
3. What was life like before the British invasion?
Before colonisation, First Nations Peoples lived with a deep, spiritual and cultural connection to the land, sea and sky. Communities were governed by sophisticated laws, kinship systems, and sustainable practices developed over tens of thousands of years.
There was no single language or culture, but hundreds of distinct nations, each with their own unique knowledge, art, and ceremony. Land, language and knowledge were passed down through stories, songlines, dance and ceremony. These traditions remain vital to this day.
Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe is a great resource to learn more about pre-colonial Australia!
4. What happened when the Europeans came to Australia?
The British invasion and colonisation of Australia in 1788 was devastating for First Nations Peoples. Many communities were decimated by widespread massacres and martial law proclamations, as shown on the Colonial Frontier Massacres map.
To learn more, the Australian War series created by Rachel Perkins offers an incredible insight into this time in Australia’s history.
By 1900, the population fell from around 750,000 to just 93,000, as British settlers brought diseases to communities and drove people off their lands.
First Nations People were segregated from the rest of society, forced to adopt British customs and abandon their own culture under the Exemption Policy.
This Government regime allowed Aboriginal people the freedom to walk around town and apply for work when granted a Ticket of Exemption. In return however, they had to sacrifice their family connections and promise not to have contact with non-exempt First Nations peoples, speak language or practice their culture.
Many families were also devastated by the ‘Aborigines Protection’ Era, which forced families to move onto missions and work on stations for rations. In addition, the passing of numerous laws and policies including state-based ‘Aborigines Protection Acts’, resulted in thousands of children being forcibly removed by governments, churches and welfare bodies to be raised in institutions, fostered or adopted out, or to work as maids or servants for non-Indigenous families. They are known as the Stolen Generations.
First Nations population numbers began to increase again in the early 1900’s and according to the 2016 Census there were an estimated 649,200 Indigenous people living in Australia and making up around 2.8 per cent of the country’s population.
5. What’s the situation like now?
For hundreds of years, systems and processes brought here through colonisation have led to ongoing social, economic and health disadvantages for First Nations Peoples.
Racial discrimination became illegal in Australia in 1976. However, to this day, First Nations People are still subject to discrimination, mistreatment and exclusion from participating in processes that directly impact on their rights and those of future generations.
Many First Nations families and communities continue to be impacted by poverty, isolation and lack of resources, and end up trapped in a cycle of intergenerational trauma and an unfair justice system.
There are a number of underlying factors or social determinants of youth crime that disproportionately affect First Nations children and lead to incarceration, including being placed in out of home (foster) care, poor school education, having poor mental health, having a cognitive disability, experiencing homelessness, or overcrowded/unsafe housing, and living in remote areas.
The acknowledgement of the fact that Government policies and systemic factors continue to impact on these social factors led to the establishment of the Closing the Gap initiative.
This aims to reduce the gap in the social and health outcomes between First Nations and non-Indigenous peoples in this country. However, the gap is not closing quickly enough to meet the targets set by the Government – and in some cases, they are going backwards.
In the most recent Closing the Gap report findings (2025), it was reported that:
- First Nations youth were 27 times as likely as non-Indigenous youth to be in detention in 2022–23.
- In 2020-2022, estimated life expectancy was 71.9 years for First Nations males and 80.6 years for non-Indigenous males, a gap of 8.8 years. Life expectancy was 75.6 years for First Nations females and 83.8 years for non-Indigenous females, a gap of 8.1 years.
- Between 2016 and 2021, the number of First Nations people living in crowded dwellings increased from 114,000 to around 130,000.
- Since the baseline year of 2018, First Nations death by suicides has increased, and financial stress was the most important predictor.
SNAICC’s Family Matters Report 2024 states that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to be over-represented at all key stages of involvement in child protection systems, being 10.8 times more likely to be in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children.
Anne Holland’s recent Help Way Earlier report also highlighted the following statistics:
- On an average day, 4542 children across Australia were under youth justice supervision (28% decrease over 5 years)
- 57% were First Nations children
- First Nations children were 23 times more likely to be under supervision and 28 times more likely to be in detention than non-First Nations children
- Almost 1 in 4 First Nations children in detention have an intellectual disability as opposed to 1 in 12 non-First Nations children
- Children from the lowest socio-economic areas are 7 times more likely to be under supervision than children from the highest socio-economic areas
- Children in the child protection system are 12 times as likely to be under supervision than the general population
Further perpetuating these inequalities in health outcomes, the Federal and State Governments have forced discriminatory and harmful policies on First Nations communities – such as the ‘basics card’ in the Northern Territory and the ‘adult crime, adult time’ regime in Queensland.
These policies take away the basic rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, pushes families further into poverty and homelessness, and reinforces cycles of incarceration, trauma and abuse.
6. How do First Nations people fight for change?
Despite the systemic racism and oppression that is forced upon them, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are strong, resilient, and they know what solutions are needed for future generations to thrive and enjoy long and happy lives. Elders and communities have relentlessly used their voices to protest and call for change since colonisation.
On January 26, 1938, while most other Australians were celebrating, Aboriginal protesters in New South Wales declared it a Day of Mourning to mark 150 years since colonisation. The key leaders of this pivotal movement included Uncle William Cooper, Pastor Doug Nicholls, Aunty Margaret Tucker and Aunty Pearl Gibbs.
‘Papa’ Mariah Day made a solitary journey by horse and cart to attend the first Day of Mourning — a pivotal moment that sparked generations of protest. Today, her great-great-granddaughter Apryl carries on that legacy, using protest to pay respect to her ancestors and continue the fight for justice. Read her story here.
On January 26 in 1972, the landmark Aboriginal Tent Embassy was established by four young Aboriginal men, Billy Craigie, Tony Coorey, Michael Anderson and Bert Williams, outside Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra to protest the Government’s refusal to acknowledge Aboriginal land rights.
More than 50 years on, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy still stands, as a powerful show of the resilience, determination and tenacity of First Nations peoples, and a reminder to the rest of the country that the fight continues for Indigenous Rights.
In 2000, more than 300,000 people walked across Sydney Harbour Bridge calling for national reconciliation. And in 2015, rallies were held across Australia to support remote First Nations communities’ right to live on their traditional lands.
These protests have long been driven by Indigenous-led, grassroots organisations and individuals, who have long campaigned to protect Country, reclaim rights and fight for lasting change.
It has also led to the establishment of grassroots Indigenous-led diversion programs and other initiatives, which aim to meet the need for wrap-around, therapeutic support and break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, child removals, youth incarceration and death by suicide.
Programs such as Brother 2 Another and Aunties Place on Larrakia Country in Darwin aim to support the needs of the young person within their community, addressing the underlying causes of crime such as emotional regulation and hunger, thus diverting them away from the prison system.
6. What can I do?
As allies, we can play a part in challenging injustice and defending equality. Being an ally takes practice – but there is so much we can do.
Start by learning more.
Read books, listen to First Nations voices, watch First Nations film and television – we mentioned a few above (Bruce Pascoe, Rachel Perkins, First Languages Australia), but you could read authors published by Magabala Books, watch films on NITV/SBS on Demand and ABC iView, and listen to podcasts on Blakcast Network.
Attend events run by First Nations organisations.
You can reach out to local First Nations groups (your council should be able to point you in the right direction) and go along to their events to start to build reciprocal relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in your area. NAIDOC Week is a great time to get involved.
Learn the name of the Traditional Owners of the land you live on, and practice acknowledging Country.
For more information on Traditional Owners across the continent, a great starting point is the AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia. As the disclaimer on the map states, it was never intended to be accurate.
Be sure to do your own research to find out what the local First Nations community call a place. You could do an online search to find an informative website created by Traditional Owners (such as the Local Aboriginal Lands Council or cultural tour organisation) or reach out to a local Elders group or Aboriginal organisation to check.
Follow and Support First Nations organisations.
Some that we recommend are Brother 2 Another, Common Ground, First Nations Futures, Yoorook, SEED Mob, Common Threads, SNAICC, Dhadjowa Foundation, We Are Warriors, and the Healing Foundation.
Allyship is about listening, learning, centering First Nations voices, and consistent action.
Whether you’re just beginning the journey or deepening your commitment, this guide provides clear actions on how you can help to create real, lasting change.
Thank you to Common Ground and Deadly Story for their ongoing educational work and resources which informed this blog.
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