APPROPRIATE TERMS AND WORDS FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS

reverseracism:

I’ve been asked to compile a list of appropriate terms/words when referring to Indigenous Australians.. So here goes!

As a little bit of back-ground info on us.. Indigenous people in Australia have the longest continuing culture/s in the world. With many different language groups, culture groups, similarities with cultures in certain parts of Africa, Indonesia and nearby countries/nations, Aboriginal Australia is indeed diverse, to say the least.

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Terms/words that are appropriate:

Indigenous Australian/s

Indigenous

Aboriginal

Aboriginal people/s

Torres Straight Islander person/s

Torres Straight Islander people/s

Native (though it’s not used as much here and more often heard to describe the Indigenous people of America, some will use the word)

Black (yes, we ARE Black.. the white settlers used the term “Blacks” which reduced us down to our skin color.. we’ve reclaimed that word and is often used like “Black-fella”)

ATSI – Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander/s (umbrella term for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island people’s or for shorthand)

Terms/words that are NOT appropriate:

Aborigine/Aborigines (a big no-no and sadly many still use these terms today)

The Aborigines

The Aboriginal people

The Torres Straight Islanders

Blacks

Colored

The n word (pretty obvious, really)

Half-caste

Full-blood

Appropriate area-specific terms:

Murri – Qld, north west NSW

Nyoongah – WA

Koori – NSW

Goori – north coast NSW

Koorie – Vic

Yolngu – Arnhem Land

Anangu – Central Australia

Palawa – Tasmania

Ngarrindjeri – SA – River Murray, Lakes, Coorong people

Torres Strait Island Peoples

Murray Island Peoples

Mer Island Peoples

Also, words that are used to describe us as “less-advanced” when compared to European societies, are not acceptable. We are not less-advanced, or less-modern or a “primitive” people – we are just different. As is everyone.

Please direct any further questions to black-australia.

Thank-you!!