Aboriginal Tribes Australia DNA Project

Founder and Principal Administrator: George William (Buralnyarla) Helon

Copyright (C). ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. George William (Buralnyarla) Helon: Queensland, Australia; 1998-2021

Cultural Sensitivity WARNING: In accordance with established Cultural Protocols - and to ensure that any disclosure of information contained herewith is consistent with the views and sensitivities of Australia's Indigenous peoples - ALL Indigenous Aboriginal Persons are WARNED that the AboriginalTribesAustralia-DNA-Project may contain images and include the names of deceased persons which might cause sadness or distress, particularly to the relatives of these people.

Introduction

Since the landmark MABO High Court decision of 3 June 1992 - which ruled that Australia was not 'Terra Nullius' ('empty land') at the time of European Settlement and that those Indigenous Aboriginal Peoples already resident in Australia prior to European Occupation were the original occupants of this country; and the very public discussions concerning Australia's 'Stolen Generation' - where Indigenous Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from their families under various Acts of Parliament by Australian Government Agencies and Church Missions - much debate and heated discussion has engulfed and divided Indigenous Aboriginal Australians unable to prove their Aboriginal Ancestry, Indigenous Status and Tribal Group affiliations, thereby denying them certain rights and disadvantaging them.

The AboriginalTribesAustralia-DNA-Project is critical and crucial in assisting Indigenous Aboriginal Australians to reclaim and reaffirm their Identity, Indigenous Status and Tribal Group affiliations by facilitating a means that will enable, and empower them, to reassert and retain their rights, dues and unique identity, thereby ensuring and preserving their future survival.

Indigenous Society is Unique and Diverse

Copyright (C) - Sourced from and reproduced with the Written Permission of George William (Buralnyarla) Helon, the Author and Compiler of 'Aborignal Australia: Register of Tribe, Clan, Horde, Linguistic Group, Language Names and AIATSIS Language Codes - Including Synonyms, Misnomers and Approximate Locations': Australia; July 1998.

The awareness, understanding and recognition of the uniqueness and diversity of Australia's Indigenous Aboriginal history, culture, customs, languages and Tribal Group affiliations is essential to the process of reconciliation.

Where a Tribal Group fits into a social order, what it should be designated as and what its name should be rendered as, are dilemmas further compounded by preconceived and entrenched notions, beliefs and stereotyping.

Most European Australians have been brought up to believe that all Indigenous Australians are Aboriginal per se, they speak Aboriginal and they are all members of one big Tribe; in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

Generally, the term 'Aboriginal' is a collective expression that is used to refer to all Indigenous Australians as being of the 'Aboriginal Race'.

Indigenous Aboriginal Australians are as individual as the many, varied, distinct and unique Tribal Groups to which they belong.

Although sharing some similarities, each Tribal Group has a fixed place and designation in the social order of Indigenous Aboriginal Society, as well as distinct territorial limits, a unique language and a particular name; infact what one Tribal Group may choose to call itself may not necessarily be the name that other Tribal Groups refer to it as.

Broadly speaking, Nations can be likened to a code of Australian football such as Rugby League or Australian Rules.

The Tribes are the Teams; the Clans are the Clubs; the Hordes are the Squads, or different age playing groups, Local Clubs, etc.; and the Family Groups are the Supporters.

To date, 716 Individual Tribal Groups have been identified throughout Australia.