The word aborigine comes from the Latin phrase ab origine, meaning “from the beginning.” The term refers to certain ethnic groups who have lived in one area without migrating for many thousands of years. These aborigines, or native peoples, were located in areas far removed from other cultures. They were unknown until outsiders intruded upon their territory.
There are few remaining regions of the world where aboriginal cultures have not been affected by outsiders. Stone Age cultures exist in the jungles of South America and on the island of New Guinea. The Negritos, a pygmylike people of Malaysia and the Philippines, live in the mountainous interiors and have succeeded in preserving their original ways of life without much interference.
On Hokkaido, the large northern island of Japan, live a people called the Ainu, who were originally distinct physically from the surrounding Mongoloid population. Over the centuries their distinctive characteristics have almost disappeared as they intermarried with other peoples. They now resemble the Japanese in appearance and use the Japanese language.
The Australian Aboriginals are probably the best known of aboriginal societies. The Aboriginals occupied all of Australia and the island of Tasmania for thousands of years until the first Europeans settled there more than 200 years ago. Since the arrival of European settlers in Australia, the traditional way of life has changed greatly as many Aboriginals have moved to towns and cities.
