We should all have this in common as we are all part of humanity, however, Indigenous peoples have not always had these rights (Ag.gov.au, 2015). In addition to basic human rights, indigenous people also have specific rights related to their culture. Prior to 1967, Indigenous peoples had different rights in different states and the Australian federal government had no jurisdiction over Aboriginal affairs until the Australian Constitution was amended for this purpose in 1967 (Moadoph.gov.au, 2015). Between 1900 and today there have been significant changes in the rights of Indigenous Australians. The effects of European settlement on the indigenous people of Australia were devastating. When white people began arriving in Australia, Aboriginal people believed they were ghosts of the spirits of their ancestors. However, once they realized that settlers were encroaching on their land, Aboriginal people became, understandably, hostile (Slater & Parish, 1999, pp.8-11). The arrival of the First Fleet in Australia led to the destruction of Aboriginal society. Clashes between settlers and Aboriginal people led to bloodshed on both sides. The brave Aboriginal people fiercely resisted the European invasion and while many white settlers expressed admiration for their bravery, many indigenous Australians perished (Slater & Parish, 1999, p.54). In 1788 the total indigenous population was believed to be between 750,000 and one million. By 1888 the Indigenous population had dwindled to around 80,000 across Australia (Korff, 2014). The three main reasons for this dramatic decline were the introduction of new diseases, violent conflicts with colonizers, and the acquisition of indigenous lands by settlers (Digital, 2015). In 1848, the Board of National Education declared that it was impractical to provide any form of education to native children. In 1883 the Aboriginal Protection Board was founded in NSW