Appropriate terminology

• The thousands of Aboriginal children removed by the Government’s policies are known as the “ Stolen Generations ”. ( Not singular.) • Because “Indigenous” is not specific, some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feel that the term diminishes their Aboriginality and should be avoided. • Blak or Black or Blackfella are terms seen and hear more often. Jack Latimore [2021] writes “No problem with white people using Blak in writing but, like Black, it is more fraught in speech.” He also states quite clearly that calling Aboriginal peoples “Blacks” is not appropriate. • Country , capitalised, is a very special term to Aboriginal peoples. It refers to that complex significance and power of traditional, the philosophical, and the spiritual connections First Nations peoples have about their sense of time and place. • Goori/Koori/ Turrbal /Noongar: these terms communicate the regions from which Aboriginal peoples hail. “Broadly speaking, Murries are from Queensland; Murdies are from kind of south-west Queensland and parts of western NSW; Koories are from up there too, but carrying on down into Victoria and around southern NSW from Newcastle down. … My advice is to get to know the First Nation you have settled on and the neighbouring First Nations that surround you, and continue to work outwards. It’s also always good to ask.” (Latimore, 2021) Official historical records confirm that the Turrbal people were the only traditional owner group in Brisbane at the earliest arrival of British settlers. Reference: Communicating positively: A guide to Appropriate Aboriginal terminology . (2004). New South Wales Department of Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural protocols. (2013). Oxfam Australia Latimore, J. (2021). “Blak, Black, Blackfulla: Language is important, but it can be tricky”. The Sydney Morning Herald, August 30 https://www.smh.com.au/national/blak-black-blackfulla-language-is-important-but-it-can-be-tricky- 20210826-p58lzg.html