Indigenous Societies before European Settlement
- Australia
- Indigenous peoples (often called Aboriginal nations) lived as hunter-gatherers with deep spiritual ties to the Dreamtime and the land.
- New Zealand
- The Māori, of Polynesian origin, lived in tribal communities (iwi) organized around kinship, warfare, and agriculture.
- Pacific Islands
- Diverse societies across Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga practiced chiefly systems, trade, and seafaring.
- Land and Spirituality
- Indigenous identity was tied to land, ancestry, and community, not private ownership.
- Early Encounters
- Initial European contact through explorers and missionaries was limited but soon followed by settlers seeking land and profit.
Definition
Dreamtime
- Aboriginal spiritual belief system explaining creation and connection to land.
Definition
Chiefly Systems
- Traditional hereditary leadership structures in Pacific societies.
Impact of Early Colonial Settlements
- Displacement and Disease
