The following guidelines are intended to apply to all references to people as of May 2022 [update] referred to as Indigenous Australians, ie. all people descended from members of the various nations that occupied the continent and islands of Australia and the Torres Strait Islands, before the British colonisation of Australia from 1788. It is an attempt to codify preferred usage when referring to such people throughout Wikipedia. For background reading on the work that lead to this style guide, see sources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander terminology.
As per those articles listed in the sources which provide such definitions, noting that while many Indigenous peoples were displaced during the colonisation era, their descendants still inhabit the same areas today:
When known, Indigenous placenames should be included in the lead directly after the English name in this format:
Spelling of Aboriginal placenames, languages, ethnic groups, and other terms, is a very controversial topic within Aboriginal communities. For the purposes of Wikipedia refer to AIATSIS?
Aboriginal ethnic groups are often defined by their language, country, moiety system, and totemic class, among other aspects of Culture. Western anthropological terms are often not used, or used with different meanings.
Hierarchy of terms:
- eg. Wurundjeri peoples (of the Woiwurrung language)
While some legal or government acts may refer to "tribes", this term is generally frowned upon outside of that context. https://www.deadlystory.com/page/tools/aboriginal-cultural-support-planning/cultural-planning---frequently-asked-questions/what-is-the-difference-between-mob-clan-tribe-language-group
Capitalisation is always used for the following terms:
Capitalisation is also often used in contemporary sources when referring to other terms, such as:
However the Wikipedia manual of style does not support capitalisation for these terms.
Some terms that are commonly seen in primary sources are now considered slurs and should be avoided or removed. While some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people may use these terms themselves, they are generally seen as offensive, and so should only be used within quotations or in a particular context where a whole Indigenous community specifically continues to use that term and does not see it as offensive.
The following guidelines are intended to apply to all references to people as of May 2022 [update] referred to as Indigenous Australians, ie. all people descended from members of the various nations that occupied the continent and islands of Australia and the Torres Strait Islands, before the British colonisation of Australia from 1788. It is an attempt to codify preferred usage when referring to such people throughout Wikipedia. For background reading on the work that lead to this style guide, see sources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander terminology.
As per those articles listed in the sources which provide such definitions, noting that while many Indigenous peoples were displaced during the colonisation era, their descendants still inhabit the same areas today:
When known, Indigenous placenames should be included in the lead directly after the English name in this format:
Spelling of Aboriginal placenames, languages, ethnic groups, and other terms, is a very controversial topic within Aboriginal communities. For the purposes of Wikipedia refer to AIATSIS?
Aboriginal ethnic groups are often defined by their language, country, moiety system, and totemic class, among other aspects of Culture. Western anthropological terms are often not used, or used with different meanings.
Hierarchy of terms:
- eg. Wurundjeri peoples (of the Woiwurrung language)
While some legal or government acts may refer to "tribes", this term is generally frowned upon outside of that context. https://www.deadlystory.com/page/tools/aboriginal-cultural-support-planning/cultural-planning---frequently-asked-questions/what-is-the-difference-between-mob-clan-tribe-language-group
Capitalisation is always used for the following terms:
Capitalisation is also often used in contemporary sources when referring to other terms, such as:
However the Wikipedia manual of style does not support capitalisation for these terms.
Some terms that are commonly seen in primary sources are now considered slurs and should be avoided or removed. While some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people may use these terms themselves, they are generally seen as offensive, and so should only be used within quotations or in a particular context where a whole Indigenous community specifically continues to use that term and does not see it as offensive.