What languages did the European colonizers first encounter when they reached the American continent and what languages have survived? November 3, 2014 November 3, 2014 ~ karaaylard. “ Many Native cultures teach that we carry the … The Aboriginal people, who once occupied this area, left important evidence of their past and way of life before colonisation. Aboriginal Australians could be the oldest population of humans living outside of Africa, where one theory says they migrated from in boats 70,000 years ago. There are around 70 distinct Indigenous languages in Canada, falling into 12 separate language families. The history of Indigenous Australians began at least 65,000 years ago when humans first populated the Australian continent and its islands. Having an understanding of the past allows for a better understanding of the present. All Aboriginal sites are significant to Aboriginal people because they are evidence of the past Aboriginal occupation of Australia and are valued as a link with their traditional culture. This article covers the history of Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, two broadly defined groups which each include other sub-groups defined by language and culture. Initial invasion and colonisation (1788 to 1890) The arrival of Lieutenant James Cook, and then Arthur Phillip in 1788, marked the beginning of ‘white settlement’. While in many places there has been decreased transmission of languages from one generation to the next, recognition of this has led to efforts by Indigenous peoples to revitalize and sustain their languages. of Aboriginal Languages and the relationship between land, language, culture and identity. One of the most exciting examples of language revitalisation in Australia is that of Kaurna in Adelaide (Amery 2000). In order to begin the journey of decolonization or to step on the path of decolonization, it is important to know the history of Indigenous women in Canada. Indigenous languages of the Americas are spoken by indigenous peoples from Alaska, Nunavut, and Greenland to the southern tip of South America, encompassing the land masses that constitute the Americas.These indigenous languages consist of dozens of distinct language families, as well as many language isolates and unclassified languages.. Indigenous women prior to colonization.