13. Aboriginal Peoples’ Alliance to Religions

The continuous Christian missionary presence in Aboriginal communities since 1821 has seen many Aborigines convert to Christianity. Indigenous communities across Australia’s Top End had contact with the Muslim Macassan traders for many centuries before British settlement. In the 1996 Australian census, more than 7000 respondents indicated that they followed a traditional Aboriginal spiritual belief. (Source: ABC, 2018)

Aboriginal people’s alliance to religions has come about through the interactions and exposure to non-indigenous people their religions and customs. 

Aboriginals and Muslims

It’s a little-known fact that Muslim visitors first arrived in Australia well before the British established a colony in 1788. From at least as early as 1650, Muslim fishermen from Makassar in Indonesia made annual trips to Australia's far north coast in search of sea cucumbers—or trepang—which are highly valued in Chinese medicine and cooking. Indigenous Australians also journeyed to Indonesia, trading tortoise shells, tools, tobacco and other goods.

According to Dr John Bradley from Melbourne's Monash University, the Makassans represent Australia's first major, successful attempt at international relations. ‘They traded together. It was fair; there was no racial judgement, no race policy,’ he says.

You have faith, you have faith in the almighty, the all-powerful. They can plan but only God is the greatest of planners. If God has destined me to be what I want to be or do what I want, nothing can stop Allah's plan.

Anthony Mundine, World Champion boxer

Muslim Makassans and Australian Aborigines traded more than just goods; they also exchanged religious ideas.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/archived/encounter/islam-and-indigenous-australia/5602354

Throughout Australia, Aboriginal peoples have married into families from other spiritual and religious belief, for instance, at Woolgoolga on NSW North Coast where 10% of the population practice Sikhism. Aboriginal people’s worldviews have changed and have been shaped by their interactions with other cultures and religions. Other religious belief systems do not replace Aboriginal spiritual belief but sit alongside it.  Aboriginal peoples belong to the land and their spirituality and identity stem from this continuous connection, irrespective of other influences.