Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website contains images, voices and names of deceased persons.
Indigenous: referring to the original inhabitants of a particular place, in this case, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isander people of Australia
Self-determination: the right of a people to determine their own political status, economic, social and cultural development
Treaty: a formal agreement between two or more sovereign nations, often used in the context of First Nations people negotiating with the Australian government for recognition and rights
Land rights: the right of First Nations people to own, use and manage their traditional lands and resources
Stolen generations: referring to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families and communities by the Australian government from the late 1800s until the 1970s
Reconciliation: the process of addressing past injustices and creating a more respectful and equal relationship between First Nations people and Non-Indigenous Australians
Native Title: the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' traditional rights and interests in land and water under Australian law
Closing the gap: a government policy aimed at reducing the disparity between First Nations people and non-Indigenous Australians in areas such as health, education and employment
Constitutional recognition: the recognition of First Nations people in the Australian Constitution, which currently does not mention them
Sacred sites: places of cultural and spiritual significance to First Nations people, which are often threatened by development and mining activities
This map was produced by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). Using published resources between 1988 and 1994, the map was made with the goal of representing "language, tribal or nation groups of the Indigenous peoples of Australia''. This map takes a different approach from traditional maps in that it purposefully blurs border lines to indicate that boundaries are not exact.
