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Confirmation of Aboriginality

The Aboriginal Land Rights Act states that to be a member of a Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) you must be an Aboriginal person. The definition of an Aboriginal person, as defined by the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, is a person who:

· is of Aboriginal descent.

· identifies as an Aboriginal person, and

· is accepted by the Aboriginal community in which he/she lives.

When a person seeks to become a member of a LALC, the members of a LALC must be satisfied that the person is in fact Aboriginal and must make a resolution to accept the person as a member before a LALC Secretary can enter their name on a membership roll.

When a LALC is satisfied that a person is Aboriginal and then proceeds to join the LALC they can then write a letter of confirmation for that person, confirming their Aboriginality. A LALC should not write a letter of confirmation if they are not first a member of the LALC.

Tracing Aboriginal Family History

If you are an Aboriginal person and want to search your family history, you can begin by contacting the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). They have a Family History Unit that can assist you, ph: 1800 730 129 or email: family@aiatsis.gov.au