In some instances Aboriginal people above a certain age will refer to themselves as Elders. It is important to understand that, in traditional Aboriginal culture, age alone doesn't necessarily mean that one is recognised as an Elder. Aboriginal people traditionally refer to an Elder as 'Aunty' or 'Uncle'.
It is a sign of respect to refer to those older than you as Aunty or Uncle especially if they are family. This includes extended family. By using Aunty or Uncle you show that you respect them, their leadership and their lived experience which typically outweighs those who are younger.
In some communities men and women are elders with equal standing; in others it may be a few men who hold that status. Elders are usually addressed with "uncle" or "aunty" which in this context are terms of respect. They are used for people held in esteem, generally older people who have earned that respect.
They might go to some of their other relations, they don't call them uncles they call them konk and their brother-in-law they call them ngoorlja.
'Nation', 'community', 'people', 'mob' or the local language or Page 3 culture group name is usually preferable to 'tribe'. 'Mob' is an Aboriginal English word and as such may be more appropriate, but community acceptance may be required before using this word.
Assimilationist terms such as 'full-blood,' 'half-caste' and 'quarter-caste' are extremely offensive and should never be used when referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Aboriginal people refer to an Elder as 'Aunty' or 'Uncle'. However, it is recommended that non-Aboriginal people check the appropriateness of their use of these terms as referring to an Elder or leader as Aunty or Uncle may not be appropriate for an outsider unless a strong relationship has been established.
Pap(a) is also found as 'mother', mainly in Victoria. Other kinship roots (for grandparents) have been shown to have a split distribution with one root dominating in the east and one in the west for what is apparently a single proto-meaning.
To make direct eye contact can be viewed as being rude, disrespectful or even aggressive.To convey polite respect, the appropriate approach would be to avert or lower your eyes in conversation. Observe the other person's body language.
Gubbah, also spelt gubba, is a term used by some Aboriginal people to refer to white people or non-Aboriginal people. The Macquarie Dictionary has it as "n. Colloq. (derog.) an Aboriginal term for a white man".
'Aborigine' is generally perceived as insensitive, because it has racist connotations from Australia's colonial past, and lumps people with diverse backgrounds into a single group. You're more likely to make friends by saying 'Aboriginal person', 'Aboriginal' or 'Torres Strait Islander'.
Bunji: Means friend/mate. Cooee: Is actually a widely used Aboriginal word that is often unknowingly used by non Indigenous people. But luckily they have been using the word correctly as the word means 'come here' in the Dharug language from the South Western areas of Sydney.
For example, in Bardi the maternal grandmother (on Mother's side) is Garminy whereas the paternal grandmother (on Father's side) is Golli. By the same token the maternal grandfather (on Mother's side) is Nyumi and the paternal grandfather (on Father's side) is Galoonoordoo or Gooloo for short!
When Aborigines refer to their family they invariably mean their extended family which might include parents, several children, numerous aunts, uncles and cousins, and grandparents. These family members can be both genetic and classificatory.
Here are some that you should know. Anangu traditionally greet each other by saying 'palya', a word that can also mean welcome, thank you, understood, ok and goodbye. Greeting Anangu with a friendly 'palya' while in the park is a simple way to show respect for the local culture.
Offensive names
However many may not be aware that shortening the term 'Aboriginal' to 'Abo' is highly offensive to Indigenous people due to historical usage and is considered a derogatory term, as 'Koon' or 'Boong' are.
In what is the strongest kinship avoidance rule, some Australian Aboriginal customs ban a person from talking directly to their mother-in-law or even seeing her. A mother-in-law also eats apart from her son-in-law or daughter-in-law and their spouse.
Terms such as half-caste, full-blood, natives, blacks, darkies, blackfellas, and other more offensive terms were often communicated in a disparaging and racist manner. For many Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, offensive terms can cause reactions such as distress, anger and resentment.
'Aborigine' is a noun for an Aboriginal person (male or female).
Although most men had only one wife at a time, polygyny was considered both legitimate and good. The average number of wives in polygynous unions was 2 or 3. The maximum in the Great Sandy Desert was 5 or 6; among the Tiwi, 29; among the Yolngu, 20 to 25, with many men having 10 to 12.
The term 'Koorie' is used to refer to Aboriginal people originating from 'mobs' in Victoria and parts of New South Wales. Koorie English is a recognised dialect of English like Standard Australian English and is spoken by members of Koorie communities across Victoria.
Uncles by birth (brother of a parent) are related to their nieces and nephews by 25%. As half-uncles are related through half brothers, they are related by 12.5%. Non consanguineous uncles (male spouse of a relative) are not related by blood.
The reason why many Indigenous people can't simply get over the past is because the negative affects of colonisation are still having an impact on Indigenous people every day, often in drastic ways.