Berkley Center

Even though Australia is not the most religiously active nation in the world, it still prides itself on welcoming all religions and cultures. Australia continues to welcome the Aboriginal people, a race indigenous to Australia as their ancestors originally inhabited the country before European settlement. The Aboriginal Australians only make up 2.6 percent of Australia's population with 517,000 people; however, their legacy still lives on. It is difficult to maintain a religion and belief system with such a small group of followers, but the Aboriginal people seem to be determined to express themselves and teach others about their culture.

Nowadays, the term “aboriginal” is used to describe the Australian indigenous people who were traditionally hunter-gatherers, instead of also including those involved with agriculture. Within some Australian communities, the use of “Aboriginal” or “Aborigine” has developed a negative undertone since it can be viewed as insulting. Some deem “Aboriginal Australians” or “Aboriginal people” to be derogatory because of its history with colonialism; however, in general, it is seen to be the most acceptable usage of the term.

I always saw a few Aboriginal Australians every time I visited Circular Quay, which is where the famous Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge are located. I did not know anything about the Aboriginal people until I visited Circular Quay for the first time. I wondered who these people were—they wore minimal clothing and made up for a lack of clothing with an abundance of face and body paint. They played incredible musical instruments by blowing into them, creating loud and unique music. All of the Aboriginal Australians that I met welcomed tourists, seeming to enjoy taking pictures with them and teaching them about their instruments. Most of them used hand motions, gestures, and music to communicate themselves instead of speaking.

Later I learned that the Aboriginal people created three musical instruments: –the gum-leaf, bullroarer, and didgeridoo. The gum-leaf mimics the sound of bird-calls which can be heard from across the harbor. The bullroarer makes a low-pitched roar, and the didgeridoo is a wooden tube blown like a trumpet. These musical instruments also function as a tourist item. The combination of these Aboriginal musical instruments creates incredible music, attracting people around Australia and the rest of the world. The didgeridoo is my favorite Aborigine instrument because I enjoyed watching the reactions of tourists since they were amazed at where the sound was coming from and how it was created.

I am glad that I was able to go to Circular Quay and learn about the Aboriginal people because I had meaningful firsthand experiences which are incomparable to reading about their history in a textbook. Interacting with the Australian Aboriginals has taught me that everyone has a story to tell and that we are all a part of a greater picture. Many of the Aboriginal people express themselves through music; thus, I was able to learn more about their culture and belief system by listening through their media of choice. I admire the Aboriginal people for their determination in keeping their culture alive.