Aboriginal Australians

Imagine being the very first person to leave a footprint on a warm, sunny land. All around you are animals you have never seen before, like kangaroos that are taller than a grown-up and birds that sound like they are laughing. At night, the sky is not like any other sky. It is filled with so many bright, sparkling stars that it looks like someone sprinkled glitter everywhere. This is where you learn the secrets of the earth, how to find water, and which plants are good to eat. I am the spirit of the first sunrise, the first stories, and the first families on this great southern land. Long, long ago, at least 65,000 years ago, my journey began. This big, beautiful land is my home, and this is my story.

For thousands and thousands of years, my people and the land were one. We call our home 'Country,' and it is more than just dirt and trees. It is alive. Every rock, river, and hill is filled with the stories of the Dreaming, which is the special time when our ancestor spirits sang and danced the whole world into being. My people painted these important stories on rocks, and you can still see the beautiful pictures today in places like Kakadu National Park. We learned to live with the seasons, moving with the animals and finding food and water where the land provided it. We were a part of the land, and the land was a part of us. But one day, everything began to change. On April 29th, 1770, a tall ship with big white sails arrived with a captain named James Cook. New people came to live on the land, and life became very different and difficult for my people. But even through sad times, our spirit, our stories, and our love for Country never faded.

I am the Aboriginal peoples of Australia, the oldest living culture on Earth. My story did not end when the ships arrived; it is still being told every single day. My people share our ancient culture through amazing art with dots and lines that tell secret stories. We share it through powerful music from instruments like the didgeridoo, which makes a deep, rumbling sound like the earth itself. We tell our stories through dances that show how the kangaroo got its hop or how the rainbow snake created the rivers. We hold the important wisdom of caring for Country, and this is something everyone can learn from today. My story is one of strength, survival, and a deep love for the land. I invite you to listen to my songs and learn from my stories, so we can all take better care of our world together.