History

My Australian-educated friends tell me they were taught at school that all Aboriginal people only counted one, two, three, four and 'many' ... there is abundant evidence of complex Aboriginal number systems extending to high numbers.
 
So why do some people believe the generalised view that all Aboriginal people can't count beyond four when there is abundant evidence to the contrary?
 

MEDIA ALERT: Details on the Canberra Premiere of 'Star Stories of The Dreaming' will be held at 6.30pm on Wednesday 1st June 2016 at the Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archive, McCoy Circuit, Action, ACT
In the lead up to the Canberra premiere of Star Stories of the Dreaming Ghillar Michael Anderson Euahlayi Lawman and knowledge holder speaks briefly about the associated Law. [node:read-more:link]

The Aboriginal Pilbara Strike.

At the meeting of tribal leaders Winyirin Bin Bin was nominated, in his absence, to work with a non-Aboriginal social reformer, Don McLeod, as a representative of the inland’s Aborigines.

'Dooley' and his kinsman Clancy McKenna sought a minimum wage of thirty shillings per week for Aboriginal station-hands and planned a mass withdrawal of labour if the request were refused. [node:read-more:link]

Chain gangs and slave labour in Australia" width="690" height="300" border="0">
Notice the tin mug placed in strategic places on the tin wall behind the prisoners - if one wanted a drink or go to the toilet the whole gang would have to go with them. In some cases, people were chained next to a member of a tribal group that is culturally inappropriate to even to speak to, never-loan the different customs and language barriers. It's no wonder they had difficulty fitting into their own family group when they were 'lucky' enough to return to their home. [node:read-more:link]

Signalling hills and lookouts were of immense importance for Aboriginal groups. They were often pivotal landmarks in the Songlines landscape, major means of communication and education, and tools for co-ordinated hunting or fishing. Their importance is reflected in some Aboriginal place names, for instance Nildottie in South Australia, which actually meant "smoke signal hill."

Aboriginal signalling lookouts are of interest for the role they seem to have played in co-ordinating resistance activities. [node:read-more:link]