It really isn't that hard.
There are 2 main distinct ethnic groups that for the people indigenous to the territories of Australia. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. If you're talking about the Aboriginal people specifically, then using the term Aboriginal is fine. However when you're talking about more general issues at a national scale (i.e. things that affect both groups) then the full term "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, indigenous or first nations is more appropriate.

I don't think any reasonable person would be outraged if you used 3 of the 4 terms you used in your post in casual conversation, however you'd expect people in the media or politics to know which is most appropriate. Why get so worked up about it though?

She talks a lot of nonsense on Sky news. Pretty sure shes on the Bolt Show every 3 or 4 days so that tells you all you need to know about her. 

I think you mean to say 'it really SHOULDN'T be that hard.'

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2015/08/why-saying-aborigine-isnt-ok-8-facts-about-indigenous-people-in-australia/
https://www.crikey.com.au/2012/08/15/indigenous-aboriginal-or-aborigine-its-not-black-and-white/

As for getting worked up about nothing (I'm not) shouldn't you be asking the perpetually outraged why they're getting so worked up about it?

Agreed its not that hard. I notice that induction forms for some sites "are you of first nation descent" these days. 

"Indigenous/First nations" is easier than saying "aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander" anyway. 

Mate whatever.  I just want to use the correct term without pissing someone off inadvertently. 

But it does beg the question that if it was ok to say 'aboriginal' and then not, and then it was ok to say 'indigenous' and then not how long will it be before 'first nations' will be a term that's become offensive?

It's a ridiculous, goal post moving, war of semantics.

I don't disagree with you, just saying I have noticed the change on some induction forms and I don't think its too hard to say indigenous. 

Society these days is about stepping on eggshells all day trying to not offend anyone. But we're straight white males, anything we say is invalid and loaded with privilege haha.

I actually have read those articles before and pretty much confirms what I wrote. Indigenous has some baggage with it but it's still widely used and accepted by many in the community so pitchforks aren't going to come out for you for using that term.

The issue with your premise is that you said Aboriginal wasn't ok to use and now it is. That's never been the case.

There are two problems with this "goal post moving, war of semantics" argument:
1. Language is constantly evolving and the terminology used for things change. It's not always because of the SJW PC brigade and causing offence.
2. Evidence is we're moving towards a point of consensus rather than flip flopping about. 

Anyway I'm not an expert at these things and no sane person expects the average joe working on engineering roads and bridges to get it 100% correct so why would they get pissed off inadvertently? 

It still is ok to use the term Aboriginal ... the issue arose on the international stage because aborigine is a generic term to describe plants, animals or people first on the land. So Native Americans are aborigines, Inuits are aborigines, eucalypts are aborigines etc. etc. So internationally they were referred to as Australian Aborigines, government's (esp. federal) adopted Indigenous for many departments as it covered Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders under one umbrella (some states such as WA still have simply Aboriginal departments as the Torres Strait Islands are not in WA).

I don't believe First Nations is used in any official documentation (except in Canada where the term is from). I don't believe "nation" would be an accurate description of Aboriginal culture or society in Australia either. Most Aborigines identify themselves belonging to a certain "people" or land (and sea). Not a "nation".

I finished school in 2002, i studied australian history and we had member of the wathaurong come in... at that point aborigine was the preferred term, which as previously stated by someone else was the term used internationally.
Aboriginal was also used but not the preferred term. Then aborigine was frowned upon, now we use indiginous even though now that is becoming frowned upon and is perceived as if they are at the same level as plants etc etc. Now some areas are saying aborigines/aboriginals/first nations.

The other thing is not all the nation's agree, which makes it hard, they don't all agree that australia day is necessarily A bad thing. Its not as if all the nation's have voted for a spokesperson, if they have it appears its a twentysomething, sun avoiding, vegan art student from fitzroy.

You've got that arse about.  I said it was ok to say aboriginal and now it isn't.

And it was the case.

Offensive to who though? The mostly white PC brigade? A handful of indigenous academics or politicians who have more in common with Australia's sociopolitical elite than those in remote communities? Moving the goalposts with words and terms is the only way for these types to stay relevant imo.

Don't see what changing the date will achieve. People will just whinge at the new date being the new INVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASION DAY.

Changed my Fb status to Happy Australia Day with Aussie flags either side.

Will be fun to see who falls into the trap....

You really have your fucking head in your ass if you think the term ‘indigenous’ is offensive. Fucking shoot me.

Rofl Pita is literally that, a pain in the arse.

-PB

*Edit* cheers TSF

Biggest genocide in history? There'd be a few people in Europe and Africa who'd raise an eyebrow at that one...

And is anybody capable of self-determination actually triggered by a date?

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Copy paste. 

How long until first nations is deemed racist and derogatory, and a new term is needed? The term ‘first’ has connotations of primordiality, which is closely related to the word primitive, which is bound to be accepted as offensive by some. Also ’first’ is derived from the German word furst, which means Prince, which has strong patriarchal, masculine, heteronormative, binary, misognynstic connotations, and is deeply dismissive of indgenous women and their excellecnet contributions to society. Expect a taxpayer funded Sydney University Phd course exploring the impact of patriarchal language on indigenous women social outcomes soon, and the findings to be the leading issue on q and a.

Then theres the word ‘nations’ plural, which could be decoded as a white suprecmasicst plot to divide indigenous resolve and a precipitate a neo genocide of aboriginals and their culture.

This is why Indigenous are suffering. How the fuck they gonna solve alcoholism, crime, child rape, domestic violence when they cant even figure out what to call themselves.

they can can themselves whatever they want to call themselves you fucking bigot.

shock. some people don't like collective nouns used to describe them.  particularly ones that have been use to harm and deride them and their families.

I get called white fella, so I call em black fella in return. Case closed.

The term 'indigenous' has been used to harm and deride? Really? 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_genocides_by_death_toll

^^ left wing politicians, activists and academics like to include mixed race children and stolen generation as part of their ‘genocide’ count, mostly because the word carries a strong emotive response, and also because it inflates the statistics, making it seem much worse that it actually was. In 50 years time they will look back on today and call the high aboriginal incarceration rates and deaths in custody a “genocide , the systematic extermination of the aboriginal race”.

I actually couldn't care what day its on, but change the day and we are still celebrating the same thing, only thing that will happen is the do gooders will then want to abolish Australia day maybe replace it with something that  has meaning to Aboriginals.

There were about 1000 protesters in Brisbane on Australia day, pretty sure there were 1000 times that celebrating the day

We've been giving in to the demands of minorities lately and really that has to stop, I growing rather tired of having to check myself so as not to offend someone. 

I'd like to see Australia Day turned into a long weekend. Make it either Friday public holiday or Monday public holiday, depending which day is closest to the 26th. 

It's better then having Tuesday off then back to work again on Wednesday, and from an employers' perspective it's better than having Aus day fall on a Thursday then a mass of workers conveniently pulling a sickie on Friday.

Yet even doing this, the same people jumping up and down and wanting to "burn Australia to the ground" will move on to wanting to change the flag/ the anthem and basically anything else that goes against the grand vision of their thought leaders...

It was a long weekend in NSW no matter what day it fell on years ago.  Then they changed it to the actual day being a public holiday ostensibly to make it a more meaningful day rather than just some random day off like the Queen's birthday.

Yeah , that works for me

Genuinely don't the big deal about why it HAS to be on January 26. It could be any other day in summer and would be celebrated in the exact same way, only difference being more people would feel far more comfortable joining in.

There is a growing call for the day to be celebrated when we stopped being a British colony and actually became a nation.. in 1901. Jan I is already taken so make it the day of the first sitting of an Australian Parliament.  Surely indigenous Australians can not have a beef about that.