Indigenous Australian customary law

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/indigenous-australian-customary-law

Step 2 · Questions

1. When was Indigenous Australian customary law built?
2. What is Indigenous Australian customary law?
3. How does Indigenous law connect people to the land?

Step 3 · Words to know

Write what each word means, using the article.

Dreaming (or Dreamtime)
Country
Restorative Justice
Kinship Systems

Step 4 · Two facts in your own words

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Cite your source

Indigenous Australian customary law. Small Whale. https://smallwhale.org/articles/indigenous-australian-customary-law. Accessed 2026-09-23. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Answer key (teacher copy)

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Indigenous Australian customary law built?The origins of these legal systems date back over 60,000 years
2. What is Indigenous Australian customary law?It is a very old set of rules that Indigenous Australians have used for more than 60,000 years to guide how people live together and care for the land.
3. How does Indigenous law connect people to the land?The law sees the land, water, animals, and spirits as all part of one family, so people treat the environment with respect and share its resources fairly.

Dreaming (or Dreamtime): The foundational spiritual era of creation, encompassing ancestral beings, laws, and the ongoing connection to Country.
Country: The ancestral lands, waters, and all living things, imbued with spiritual significance and governed by customary law.
Restorative Justice: A legal approach focused on repairing harm, restoring relationships, and reintegrating offenders into the community.
Kinship Systems: Complex social structures defining relationships, responsibilities, and obligations between individuals and groups.