First Australians is a name given to the indigenous people of Australia. It is interesting to think about where this name comes from and why we would want to use it. First Australians is a relatively old name that dates back at least to the 1950s. In 1952, Roland and Catherine Berndt wrote a book that they called First Australians.

The word aboriginal means the people who were here first. So why not just use the name Aboriginal Australians? One explanation is that the name Aboriginal Australians divides people into two groups: Australian people who are aboriginal and Australian people who are not aboriginal.

Many people think that it is important for a nation to be unified. The idea of a unified nation is complex and has many problems. For instance, some people argue that for Australia to be unified then there must be only one kind of Australian. People who argue this almost always define an Australian as a white Anglo-Saxon person who speaks English, and because of this, their argument is xenophobic, racist and linguistically prejudiced.

On the other hand, a more inclusive idea is that a nation is full of many different and varied people and the idea of Australia holds all these different people together. In this argument, it does not matter if you are the first or the newest Australian.

A second explanation for saying First Australians rather than Aboriginal Australians is to always give indigenous people the respect of having been here first. Indigenous Australians have been living in this land for at least 60 000 years. Since 60 000 years is longer than anyone can remember, it is only fair to give them the respect of being the first people.

A few ideas follow on from this idea. Firstly, if the indigenous people are the first people then everybody else is the people who come after. This means that everyone from European explorers and British Colonists to the newest refugees from the Sudan, Burma, Togo or Iran are the people who come after the first people. Secondly, if the indigenous people are respected as living here for 60 000 years or more, then there must be something about their way of living that is very successful. So, with the environmental challenges we face in the coming years, it is very important for Australia to use the knowledge of its first people in managing the land and its resources.

Recently, SBS Television broadcast a 6-part series - First Australians. It was a wonderful and important series, where indigenous historians told some of the most significant stories of indigenous struggle and survival since colonisation in 1788. Nexus Project encourages everyone in Australia to watch this series which you can see online for free at the First Australians website.

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