1 History1.1 Origin1.1.1 Indigenous peoples of Australia Aboriginal people have been present in Australia for at least 40,000 years, with a possible range of up to 125,000 years, but the oldest human remains found so far, they were only 40 000 years old. In general, it is believed that all Aboriginal people are linked to a migration to Australia. A minority of scholars, however, suggest that there were three waves of migration to the continent. Their black, curly hair, blue-black skin, thick lips and wide noses are reminiscent of southern India and Papua New Guinea, so it is generally believed that this is where the Aborigines originally came from. Most likely, Aboriginal people lived in the same environment as the Australian megafauna. These megafauna are several large animal species that lived in Australia between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago, but are now extinct. The animals are characterized as species with an approximate body mass greater than 30 kilograms. Aboriginal people originally lived as hunter-gatherers. They mainly hunted animals on their land for food. Aboriginal groups were quite mobile, similar to nomads. They moved only for the need for variety of food, available in different regions as the seasons changed. The population was spread across the continent, but the highest population density was in the south and east of the country, for example in the Murray River valley in the south. It is not known exactly how long it took the Aboriginal people to spread across the continent. In reality it may have taken up to 10,000 years. At first the Aboriginal people chose regions as close to the coast as possible, because it was the most familiar terrain. No evidence has been found of Aboriginal people living far away i...... half of document ......on: secret and sacred paths of the Ngarinyin Aboriginal people of Australia, Könemann, Keulen, 2000, 335p.Krant: sn , “Aboriginal people under 25 on two Saskatchewan reserves lose their native language”, Paherald Online, 03.12.2010.Internet:Aboriginal people in the news, Media awareness, internet, 2010, (http://www. media-awareness.ca). Australië: Aboriginal cultuur, Australië.nl, internet, (03.12.2010), (http://www.australie.nl).Aboriginal Australia, Australia, internet, 2010, (http://www.australia.com). Traditional Aboriginal music, Aboriginal Australia, internet, (11.12.2010), (http://www.aboriginalaustralia.com). Struggling to Escape a Legacy of Oppression, Center for Social Justice, Internet, 2011, (http://www .socialjustice.org). Impact of European Settlement on Indigenous people, Skwirk Interactive Schooling, Internet, 2011, (http:/ /www.skwirk.com.au).