Sometimes non-Aboriginal people get confused by the great range and variety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait people, from the traditional hunter to the Doctor of Philosophy; from the dark-skinned to the very fair; from the speaker of traditional languages to the radio announcer who speaks the Queen's English. The lesson to be learned from this is that we should not stereotype people ; that people are different, regardless of race.

At the time of 'invasion' there were several hundred Aboriginal language groups (or tribes) throughout Australia. Unlike the New Zealand Maori, for example, each of these tribes had its own language. Even now, in some remote parts of northern Australia, English will be the third language of many Aboriginal people. Their own tongue and the language of a neighboring tribe will come first.

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The Aboriginal people are estimated to have lived in Australia for anywhere between 40.000 and 100.000 years and they have insider knowledge when it comes to Australia's outback. It's well worth 'picking their brains' if you seek to glean an inner understanding of the way the Australian continent functions.

Like many indigenous cultures, Aboriginal Australians have a binding spiritual link to the land and explain its creation with songs, stories and pictorial art which are passed down from generation to generation. The time of creation is referred to as the Dreamtime and describes the creation of people, animals and the land. The Dreamtime, or the Dreaming, can also be described as a sort of cosmic awareness, often inspired by the land itself. The Dreamtime is the Aboriginal understanding of the world, of it's creation, and it's great stories. The Dreamtime is the beginning of knowledge, from which came the laws of existence. For survival these laws must be observed.

The Dreaming world was the old time of the Ancestor Beings. They emerged from the earth at the time of the creation. Time began in the world the moment these supernatural beings were "born out of their own Eternity". The Earth was a flat surface, in darkness. A dead, silent world. Unknown forms of life were asleep, below the surface of the land. Then the supernatural Ancestor Beings broke through the crust of the earth form below, with tumultuous force. The sun rose out of the ground. The land received light for the first time (see picture above).

The supernatural Beings, or Totemic Ancestors, resembled creatures or plants, and were half human. They moved across the barren surface of the world. They traveled, hunted and fought, and changed the form of the land. In their journeys, they created the landscape, the mountains, the rivers, the trees, waterholes, plains and sand hills. They made the people themselves, who are descendants of the Dreamtime ancestors. They made the Ant, Grasshopper, Emu, Eagle, Crow, Parrot, Wallaby, Kangaroo, Lizard, Snake, and all food plants. They made the natural elements : Water, Air, Fire. They made all the celestial bodies : the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. Then, wearied from all their activity, the mythical creatures sank back into the earth and returned to their state of sleep. Sometimes their spirits turned into rocks or trees or a part of the landscape. These became sacred places, to be seen only by initiated men.

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Land means many things to many people. To a farmer, land is a means of production and the source of a way of life. It is economic sustainability. To a property developer, it is a bargaining chip and the means of financial progress and success. To many Australians, land is something they can own if they work hard enough and save enough money to buy it. To Aboriginal people land is not just something that they can own or trade; land has a spiritual value. As custodians of the land, Aboriginal Australians believe that they came from the land and thus belong to it, rather then subscribing to the traditional western perception of 'ownership'. Subsequently many tribes and groups see the land as their mother, provider and life-giver as well as their home.

Many of these believes are held as sacred, as are some places which are used for spiritual practices. People that travel in Australia should be cultural sensitive; it never hurts to ask if there is significance to a place or area and what the local protocols and customs may be. A good example of this is Uluru, otherwise known as Ayers Rock (see picture). While many non-indigenous tours may include a climb of 'The Rock' as part of their package, Uluru is actually a sacred site and climbing it could be likened to climbing onto the roof of a church to get an insight into the local culture. Additionally, many Aboriginal communities in the outback are designated 'dry' communities and this means that consumption and supply of alcohol and drugs is strictly forbidden.

Two key words define the current state of play regarding Aboriginal issues in Australia today: survival and reconciliation. Survival refers to previous conflict between indigenous Australians and Europeans, particularly during the period of European settlement. Reconciliation defines the hope for all Australians to live in peace with justice and equity for all. Large sections of outback Australia are Aboriginal-owned land and you need a permit to enter these areas. Kakadu and Uluru / Kata Tjuta National Parks are examples of Aboriginal-owned land that has been leased to the government to run as tourist attractions. The traditional owners of these areas are deeply involved in their management and the entry fees will go towards the upkeep of the parks. It is hoped that tourism will help to sustain the community's culture and play an important role in reconciliation through a greater understanding of Aboriginal cultures and values.