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Australian Aboriginal Genealogy

September 3, 2024 by Legacy Tree Genealogists Leave a Comment

As you begin Aboriginal genealogy research, it's important to realize that the connection that Australian Aboriginal people have to the land is a concept that is sometimes difficult for non-Aboriginal people to understand. The term ‘Country’ is used to describe the area a family or community came from, and once this is established, the connections can be shared, and links to existing relatives can be established.  

Like many First Nations communities affected by invasion, genocide, and discriminatory government policies, many Australian Aboriginal people still live with the disadvantages and effects of events in the past.  

Government policies that removed people from their Country or removed children from their families cast a long shadow on culture and community to the present day. However, the resilience and strength of Aboriginal Australians in the face of this disadvantage is a huge testament to their connections to family and community.  

The Bringing Them Home Report

A pivotal National inquiry undertaken by the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their families was completed in 1997. Extensive consultations were conducted across Australia, and the inquiry was heard from around 1000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It gave survivors a space to tell their stories in their own voices, some for the first time, providing a starting point for the healing process. 

They interviewed over 500 affected people and spoke to organizations and institutions nationwide.  The result was the Bringing Them Home report, which detailed the history of forced removals and provided recommendations for redress. Though it has been twenty years since the report was published, Bringing them Home remains significant today. Many of the report's recommendations have not yet been implemented, members of the Stolen Generations and their families continue to be affected by the trauma caused by forced removal, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are still removed from their families at a very high rate. 

The Bringing Them Home Report and associated research bring together many sources of information related to the Stolen Generation. Although the stories are often dark, grim, and confronting, the centralization of the information and the collection of oral and other personal histories provide a data source for future generations. 

How Can I Test My DNA for Aboriginal Ancestry?  

The major direct-to-consumer DNA tests, including AncestryDNA, MyHeritage DNA, and FamilyTreeDNA, have sample populations for Aboriginal ancestry, meaning they may be able to detect Aboriginal Ancestry. However, sometimes, if the connection is a very distant ancestor, this may not be able to be detected.  

What Is a Reasonable Aboriginal Genealogy Research Goal? 

When you work with professional genealogists like Legacy Tree, we can support you as you develop your research goals. Traditional genealogy goals don’t always apply to clients searching for more information about their Aboriginal ancestry, as Aboriginal communities may have a different ancestral perspective than those removed from their culture and Country. If a client has grown up with cultural connections to place, then research goals might focus more on details about individuals and their stories. However, if a client or their ancestors were removed from their Aboriginal family, then research might be more pragmatic: where does the client’s family come from? Who are their closest relatives? How might they reach out to new family members in a sensitive way?

Aboriginal Family History Research

The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) is the national repository for information and advice on Aboriginal Family History. In addition, each State and Territory in Australia has specific information.   

AIATSIS recommends the following steps as you begin your Aboriginal family history research, and we can always help you along your journey:

  1. Develop a research plan. This includes developing research goals. We help our clients with this process. 
  2. Get organized. Gather all your relevant information and share it with our team. We will work with you to determine what is useful for your research goals. 
  3. Search for records held by institutions and vital records held by the Government. With your permission, Legacy Tree can do this for you.    
  4. Prepare a report on your research.    

Hand-in-hand with our clients, we can work with the below libraries to source information for you:  

  • AIATIS Collections  
  • Western Australia 
  • South Australia 
  • Victoria 
  • New South Wales 
  • Tasmania 
  • ACT 
  • Northern Territory 

How Are Aboriginal Genealogy Records Stored and Protected?  

The Australian Government recognizes the sensitivity of records related to Australian Aboriginal people and has extra layers of protection and privacy regarding the data it holds in libraries and institutions. However, with consent from our clients, we can collaborate with these organizations to engage professionals to assist with research if required. 

If you’d like help with your Aboriginal genealogy research, you can contact us with your questions, goals, and concerns and someone on our team will be happy to help you!

Filed Under: Australia, genealogy research Tagged With: Aboriginal Genealogy

About the Author

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Legacy Tree Genealogists
The team at Legacy Tree Genealogists has been helping clients worldwide discover their roots for 20 years. We're based near the world's largest Family History Library and connected with genealogists and archives around the world, and we love doing what we do! We also love sharing our genealogy tips with our readers.

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