Can Aboriginal Status Be Acquired Through Adoption? A Dubious Notion
A friend of mine, who was born overseas and is currently 40 years old, is in Australia on a student visa. He is married and has two children, both of whom were also born outside of Australia. Recently, he shared that he is in the process of legally adopting an Aboriginal family as his parents, claiming this would enable him to transition directly from his student visa to Aboriginal Australian status, along with his entire family.
I find this quite hard to believe and feel troubled hearing him say such things. How can someone, who was born in India, moved to Australia just two years ago, and has no ancestral or blood ties to Aboriginal Australians, suddenly gain Aboriginal status by merely signing a few documents?
I can’t help but wonder if he is attempting to deceive a vulnerable Aboriginal family or if he himself is being misled.
Your skepticism about your friend’s claim is well-founded. Aboriginal status in Australia is typically based on descent, meaning that an individual must have Aboriginal ancestry. Simply adopting an Aboriginal family does not confer Aboriginal status or rights.
The concept of Aboriginal identity goes deep into cultural heritage and community recognition, and it is not something that can be obtained through legal means like adoption. Aboriginal peoples have specific rights and recognition under Australian law, and these are tied closely to ancestry and traditional connection to the land.
If your friend believes he can gain Aboriginal status through adoption, he may be misinformed or could be falling prey to a scam. It’s concerning that he might misunderstand or misrepresent the situation, which could have negative implications for both him and the Aboriginal family involved.
It may be worth gently encouraging your friend to seek legal advice or rely on official information from reputable sources about Aboriginal status and rights in Australia. It’s important for all parties involved to be treated with respect and to ensure that there is no exploitation of cultural identity in the process.