ON COUNTRY
Professor Marcia Langton is one of the country’s most PROMINENT VOICES on FIRST NATIONS people and INDIGENOUS CULTURE. An anthropologist and geographer, Langton contributes to government and non-government POLICY, and is a STRONG VOICE on native title, ART and culture, and women’s rights. She received the Officer of the Order of Australia award in 2020. In this extract from the second edition of her book Marcia Langton: Welcome to Country she discusses the extraordinary EXPERIENCE of exploring Indigenous Australia.
AUSTRALIA IS ALIVE WITH A LONG HISTORY of the Indigenous people, our culture and our presence. Nowhere else in the world can you see and experience the oldest living cultures of humankind. Experiencing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander places, tourism adventures, art centres and galleries, guided walks and cultural events will help local and international travellers to find their way through our beautiful lands and waters and make a cultural connection with the people who know it best.
There are two distinctive Indigenous cultural groupings in Australia: Aboriginal people on the mainland and most islands; and Torres Strait Islanders, whose homelands are in the Torres Strait between the northern tip of Queensland and Papua New Guinea. People are believed to have settled on these islands about 20,000 years ago. Aboriginal people have been living on the mainland for at least 65,000 years; archaeologists have uncovered evidence of people living in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory 65,000 years ago, with ongoing research in other parts of Australia indicating even longer periods.
The Indigenous footprint can be found across the Australian continent and its islands, but it is often invisible until it is pointed out. Once you see the evidence of Aboriginal life, a whole new world opens up. You begin to see the country around you differently. Keen to share their cultural riches, hundreds of Aboriginal people have found ways to invite tourists into their lives, even briefly, to enjoy the experience of being in Aboriginal Country with people who know it best: the Traditional Owners. With deep knowledge of the natural world, they are the ideal guides to show you the extraordinary range of environments across the country.
The opportunity for Indigenous Australians to share their experiences and knowledge with tourists opened up when land rights were recognised and Indigenous people became joint managers of large swathes of our Country. Now there are visitors’ centres, museums and festivals in even the most remote places, showcasing the fascinating history and cultures of Indigenous societies.
When you are travelling around Indigenous Australia, you
