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micewithknives · 8 days

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Skipping ALL things in my queue, and all the asks in my ask box, to tell y'all about THIS that came out a few hours ago. I cannot express how excited I am about this information finally being published.

Its not the first evidence of pottery technologies found in Australia, but the artefacts that have been found at the Lizard Island group in the past havent necessarily been datable. Evidence of pottery in the Torres Strait was also found in the early 2000s, and its been analysed to be evidence of trade with Papua New Guinea (who have an AMAZING history of pottery technology).

To our amazement, around 40cm below the surface we began to find pieces of pottery among the shells in the excavation. We knew this was a big deal. We carefully bagged each piece of pottery and mapped where each sherd came from, and kept digging.

But as of now, there's officially dated evidence for locally made pottery in Australia, of at least 1800 years. Not only outside the Torres Straight, but 300km south. Not only 1800+ years old, but also pre-dating the original known dates for Torres Straight Islands pottery, suggesting the possibility of even earlier pottery technology trade with PNG. AND ITS DECORATED.

Radiocarbon dating of charcoal and shells found close to the pottery shows that it is between 2,950 and 1,815 years old, making it the earliest securely dated pottery ever found in Australia. Analysis of the clays and tempers shows that all of the pottery was likely made on Jiigurru.

The pottery stopped at about 80cm depth, with 82 pieces of pottery in total. Most are very small, with an average length of just 18 millimetres. The pottery assemblage includes rim and neck pieces and some of the pottery is decorated with pigment and incised lines.

#GUYS IM SO EXCITED #IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS #archaeology #australia #Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples #this is literally SO huge

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notahorseindisguise · 3 months

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for those who don't know: this is the Aboriginal flag.

the black represents the colour of the skin of the people

the red represents the red earth and the spiritual connection to it, as well as the red ochre used in ceremonies

the yellow circle represents the sun, the giver of life

this is the Torres Strait Islander flag, a flag which is just as important, signifying another group of Indigenous australians

the green represents the land, the blue represents the sea

the black lines separating them represents the Torres Strait Islander people

the centre of the flag has a white dhari, a type of headdress

the white star underneath it symbolizes peace, and the 5 points represent the 5 island groups in the Torres Strait

please correct me if you believe any of this information is wrong

#i know only my australian mutuals will be alive right now but i think this might be important for some of us too #im sure yall knew about the Aboriginal flag #but i personally didn't know the meaning of the Torres Strait Islander flag. had to google and read about it #but dw i read like 3 different websites which all seemed to agree on those facts #so i think i got it right #but im sure my qlder followers would know more than me and i would gladly be educated

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queerasfact · 10 months

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NAIDOC Week

It’s NAIDOC Week in Australia, a week acknowledging and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture.

If you’d like to learn a bit about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander queer history, we’ve put together a few links to get you started.

Peopling the Empty Mirror: The Prospects for Lesbian and Gay Aboriginal History by the Gays and Lesbians Aboriginal Alliance (1994) - an essay reviewing literature on Aboriginal sexuality, and discussing future of Aboriginal queer history

ATSI Rainbow Archive curated by Andrew Farrell - an online archive active from 2014 to 2021, cataloguing links from across the internet referencing queer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences.

What do we know about queer Indigenous history? by James Findley (2018) - an article in which Findley speaks to queer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people about their understandings and experiences of queer Indigenous history.

Colouring the Rainbow: Blak Queer and Trans Perspectives edited by Dino Hodge (2015) - an anthology of essays and personal stories by twenty-two First Nations people exploring identity, culture and queerness.

We are far from experts so if you have links to more sources feel free to add them.

#naidoc week #naidoc #aboriginal history #torres strait islander history #atsi history #australia #lgbt #lgbtq #queer #queer histroy

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official-boobies-posts · 3 months

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always was, always will be aboriginal land ❤️💛🖤

#dont know how many aussies follow me but its jmportant #for those who arent australia!!#today is invasion day otherwise known as australia #its a celebration of the mass genocide of the aboriginal and torres strait islander people #(the owners of aussie land)#weve also very recently lost a vote to give aboriginal people a say in what happens to that land #thankfully the protests all over the country were huge #ive just gotten home from one that had tens of thousands of people marching through meanjin #if youd like some links to support indigenous owned businesses (v important to do especially today)#feel free to dm me #australia #invasion day #australia day #jan 26th #change the date #vote yes #land back

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blakpearlsss · 12 days

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When you finally develop b00bies in your 30's but your man is not a b00bie man. Whyyyyyy???!!! 😩🖤🤧

#Corset #Me #Torres strait islander #Selfie #aboriginal #South sea islander #Sri lankan #Corsets #Smile #red lipstick

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luthienebonyx · 6 months

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I've seen some misinformation spreading around tumblr about the Australian Voice referendum to be held this Saturday, 14 October 2023, so here are some actual facts about what it is and why Australians should PLEASE vote YES.

So, what is the referendum question?

The referendum question is about recognising Indigenous Australians in the Constitution, and setting up a body to be known as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, so that Indigenous representatives have the right to provide advice to government about decisions that affect Indigenous people.

Here’s the actual referendum question:

A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?

The new chapter and section to be added to the constitution are:

Chapter IX Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

S 129 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice

In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia:

1. There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice;

2. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;

3. The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.

Source and more info

That’s it. That’s all it is.

The No campaign is spreading lies about the Voice, suggesting that it will somehow take rights or property away from non-Indigenous Australians. They’ve also been using social media - and some elements of mainstream media - to stir up fear and racism, using tactics with a vibe that will be all too familiar to our American friends who have lived through Trump, or our British friends who have been through Brexit.

Here are a few simple facts to counter some of the misinformation that's out there.

Why do we need a body like the Voice?

Indigenous people experience a level of disadvantage that applies to no other group of Australians. As the Prime Minister has said on numerous occasions, a young Indigenous man in this country today is more likely to go to jail than to go to university. Meanwhile, the periodic closing the gap reports show that Australian governments continue to fail in their aim for Indigenous Australians’ health and life expectancy to be equal to that of other Australians.

These sorts of outcomes are typical of a system that has always been about doing things to Indigenous people, rather than with them. Indigenous people need to be in the room when decisions are made about matters that affect them.

So yeah, we need an advisory body that has the ear of politicians. Seems simple enough, so why not just legislate it?

That’s the thing: we’ve already tried that.

We need an advisory body like the Voice to be enshrined in the Constitution because we’ve HAD advisory bodies before – bodies like the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). ATSIC was abolished in 2005 by a government that was hostile to ATSIC’s aims – something that government could easily do since there was no obligation for a body like that to exist. Other similar bodies have gone the same way.

Putting the Voice in the constitution means that it will always exist. The actual decision-making power continues to reside with our elected politicians, but having the Voice means that they will be obligated to listen to the perspective and suggestions of Indigenous representatives before they (the politicians) make decisions affecting Indigenous people.

The politicians will still have the power to legislate the details of how the Voice works, just like any other body set up under legislation - but once it's in the constitution, they don't get to decide whether it exists or not.

Where did the idea for the Voice come from?

Indigenous people have been calling for something like the Voice since the 1920s, but the current proposition originated in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. This is a petition created by Indigenous delegates to the First Nations National Constitutional Convention held at Uluru in 2017. The Uluru statement from the heart is only 439 words, but they’re very powerful words. Read it here

So if you hear the No campaign trying to say that the idea for the Voice comes from Canberra or from politicians: no, it doesn’t. It comes from Uluru, in central Australia, and it comes from a request by representatives of a large number of Indigenous people. The government is responding to that request by holding this referendum.

Do all Indigenous Australians support the Voice?

Have you ever known any group of people that share 100% support for anything? Of course there isn’t agreement by every single Indigenous person that this is the right way to proceed. HOWEVER, that said, polling shows that around 80% of Indigenous Australians support the Voice, and of the remaining approximately 20%, many don’t support the Voice because they believe it doesn’t go far enough. Some want a treaty before anything else.

But you wouldn’t know that by the way the Australian media has reported the campaign.

I’m not going to repeat that No campaign slogan. If you’ve watched or read any reporting about this issue, you know the one I mean. The one that panders to ignorance and fear.

Instead, I’m just going to say: if you don’t know, FIND OUT. And then VOTE YES.

#auspol #the voice #aboriginal and torres strait islander voice #Australians PLEASE VOTE YES

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chernayawidow · 1 year

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Indigenous Australians ARE BLACK. I’ve just come from tiktok after seeing lots of Americans say that First Nation people are not black. THERE ARE OTHER PLACES AND CULTURES IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF THE USA.

I myself am white, so if any Indigenous Australians are uncomfortable with me saying any of this please let me know and I’ll take it down. Or if any terms/information needs correction please please please let me know.

I have friends who are light skinned Indigenous and they should NOT have to defend their heritage against a country of ignorant fools. My primary example is Malakai and Missy from Heartbreak High, an AUSTRALIAN show, who are having their heritage erased because they’re not “black enough”. How the fuck are people saying that in 2023?

If your country cared enough to acknowledge the existence of others in the world, you would know that Indigenous Australians were subjected to the Stolen Generation. What’s that, you ask? Where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were stolen from their families by governments, churches and welfare bodies to be raised in institutions, fostered out or adopted by non-Indigenous families, as a way of white washing them and erasing their culture and heritage.

TW: Racism, Death/Murder, Abuse - sexual and physical - (not graphic but mentioned)

They were abused, killed and raped by white people, as well as being forced to have their children as a way of “breeding out the black”. So when you guys say “they’re not black enough”, it’s one of the most disgusting and insensitive things you can say. The amount of pain Indigenous Australians have suffered is astounding, and they’re finally getting some on-screen representation. But here come you Americans, just shitting all over them. African American representation is extremely low, now guess what? Indigenous Australian representation is even lower. To the point where you guys don’t even know they exist.

To this day, they experience systemic racism at the hands of government, and especially the police. Not only that, but Australia is still fighting to change the date of “Australia Day” so that it doesn’t fall on Invasion Day. They’re trying to reclaim land that is rightfully theirs, as well as protect and maintain the preservation of what little history they have left. So before you go shitting on the oldest and longest running Indigenous culture in the world, do your fucking research.

#malakai mitchell #indigenous Australians #aboriginal #aboriginals #indigenous culture #Australia #poc #heartbreak high #the stolen generation #torres strait islanders

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tintededges · 1 year

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Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams)

Historical fiction novel about the impact of colonialism on Wiradyuri people and country Content warning: racism, colonialism, natural disaster, sexual harassment I have read a few books by this author and I was really excited when her new historical fiction novel was released back in 2021. I picked up a copy from Read on Books in Katoomba while my significant other was running an…

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#aboriginal and torres strait islander #anita heiss #Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray #book reviews #books #Historical Fiction #River of Dreams #romance #Wiradyuri

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micewithknives · 10 days

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top 5 archeological finds and also top 5 pop albums

Someone else asked me archaeology finds personally so we're going to role with generally for this one:

Australia ones specifically, because I think theyre kinda underrated in the general scheme of global archaeology

The Lake Mungo burials (New South Wales). Definitely not underrated, the area is now world heritage listed. But they made SUCH an important impact on repatriation legislation, and the way Aboriginal people are allowed to interact with the archaeology of their own ancestors. I literally recommend the Message From Mungo documentary to everyone.

Murujuga underwater archaeology in Western Australia - a 7000 year old underwater site, which many hope will a) impact the way Australia's underwater heritage legislation interacts with Indigenous heritage (its currently very lacking) and b) gives more hope and research avenues for more Indigenous underwater archaeology projects in future

The extent of the (now world heritage listed) Budj Bim cultural landscape (Victoria), and specifically their eel trapping and storage areas

The various Yolŋu ship rock arts in Arnhem Land (Northern Territory) (they include some VERY detailed Indonesian ships, and as more research is being done on them, it appears to be increasing the amount of time Makassan people have been in contact with northern Australia).

Mabuyang Island (Torres Strait) excavations. Excavations from the early 2000s in the Torres Strait islands have found not only extensive trade with Papua New Guinea, including ceramics. But ALSO evidence of local pottery making on some islands. This is the only area in Australia known to have participated in ceramic technology so far.

Top 5 pop albums: (Sadie I literally had GOOGLE whether a bunch of albums were pop music, so i am taking this question... loosely). (Apparently i listen to a lot of pop-adjacent genres, but pretty much no pop music generally, however i will admit it makes for the MOST Superior Cleaning Playlists).

Stories for Monday - The Summer Set TECHNICALLY pop-rock according to google but i dont care, bc it will always be one of my favourite albums ever. (I struggle with whole albums sometimes but i will always listen to this one the whole way through).

Misfits - The Valla. Idk what genre this counts as. but i like it.

The Good Witch - Maisie Peters

Treaty - Yothu Yindi Not an album. Also not technically pop. BUT it was on the top hits radio playing at the shops the other day and it was stuck in my head all week. So it counts. I said so.

Healing Hurts - BLÜ EYES

#archaeology #Australia #Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples #music #ask

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skullsandpearlsss · 11 months

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#Me #aboriginal #torres strait islanders #aboriginal and torres strait islander #mirror selfie #Selfie #long hair #Brunette #Curly hair #South Sea Islander #Curvy

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cinnamonchaos · 7 months

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for anyone in Australia, please do some reading beyond just the No Campaign and conservative media! There is so so much misinformation about what The Voice actually is and what it does.

Also remember - there is no 'progressive no'. We may agree that the government hasn't done enough, that a treaty should come first, and so much more action is needed. But voting no is slamming the door shut. It's not progressives winning, it's conservatives and racists and self-serving politicians. A no vote isn't progressive, it won't encourage the government to do more. If you think that the Lib party wants a no result so they can implement a better alternative, you've been deceived. There is no 'no, but because I want more action and a treaty' option. The yes will be the indicator of this, but a no will be taken as 'no action is needed' and 'we don't believe we need to recognise our country's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people'.

VOTE YES! 🖤💛❤️

#the voice referendum #indigenous voice to parliament #uluru statement #uluru statement from the heart #aboriginal and torres strait islander #First Nations Australia #australian politics #australian referendum 2023 #politics #voice to parliament

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queerasfact · 1 year

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On January 26 1788, the First Fleet transporting convicts from Britian arrived on the lands of the Eora Nation and the establishment of a British colony in Australia began.

In 1938, First Nations activists declared this date a Day of Mourning. Gathering at a thousands-strong protest in Sydney they passed a resolution that:

"This being the 150th Anniversary of the Whiteman's seizure of our country, [we] HEREBY MAKE PROTEST against the callous treatment of our people by the whitemen during the past 150 years, AND WE APPEAL to the Australian nation of today to make new laws for the education and care of Aborigines, we ask for a new policy which will raise our people TO FULL CITIZEN STATUS and EQUALITY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY."