First People

noun

plural First Peoples

: any of a number of Indigenous peoples of a given place and especially of a place that was colonized

Written as a response to Prime Minister Bob Hawke's unfulfilled promise to conclude a treaty with Australian First Peoples by 1990, "Treaty" saw Yothu Yindi reflect on the need for sovereignty and a treaty to be formed between the federal government and Indigenous Australians.

—Will Brewster

compare first nation

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above