This is because all aspects of Aboriginal spirituality and life such as their belief systems, rituals, totemic responsibilities, traditions and laws are rooted in the stories of the Dreaming which are intimately connected with the land. Therefore, the religious and political Land Rights movement that aimed to regain access and ownership to sacred sites and traditional lands was paramount in attempting to re-establish ceremonial life, reconnect the Dreaming and preserve Aboriginal spirituality which was lost as a result of European settlement. Regaining access to sacred sites was especially important so balance rites and rituals could be fulfilled. Aboriginal people believe they are custodians of the land, which is the resting place of ancestral beings and totems which form the foundation of beliefs and traditions, so land rights promoted conservation of their culture and fulfilment of their role. Connection to the Dreaming was, therefore, an inextricable driving force for the Land Rights…
Watch the video 'Bunjil the Eagle' and reflect on what it reveals to us about Aboriginal religion. Make at least three points in your paragraph. In the video, Joy Murphy Wandin stated, “It is our place and that place comes from knowing that it's been created by a very special spiritual being that we know as Bunjil the Eagle.” She further mentioned that Aboriginal communities have totems or moieties.…
The Dreaming is the foundation of Aboriginal spirituality, providing a basis upon which kinship systems, traditions, rituals and ceremonies are built. The effect of dispossession and the Stolen Generation on Aboriginal Spiritualties has lead to both separation of the land and separation of kinship groups; where the elders were not able to pass on dreaming stories to the younger generation, knowledge, tradition and language have been lost. Although the Darug Indigenous community’s language was lost, some descendants of the Darug clans in Western Sydney are aiming to revive Dharug as a spoken language. This region is very close to the Bidjigal community and ‘At St Mary's Chifley College Dunheved Campus the Dharug Byalla language have created…
The Dreaming, or 'Tjukurrpa', (to 'see and understand the law) has been a highly significant part of Aboriginal spirituality for centuries. Dreaming stories are important to Aboriginals as they pass on knowledge, beliefs and cultural values from their ancestors to later generations. These stories have been passed down through storytelling, dancing, paintings and songs. Aboriginals have the longest cultural history of any group on Earth dating between 50,000 and 65,000 years. The Dreaming stories explain the creation of the world and how their ancestors interacted with the land which was passed on to newer generations through ceremonies and stories now known as the dreaming.…
The Native’s land was taken over by people who wanted to sell it or use it to their advantage, not because it held any meaning to them as it did to the Natives. “They often expressed astonishment that land could be sold or negotiated through treaties... land was not a source of private profit but life, including the life of the spirits. Some lands were also sacred as they bore the graves of the dead” (Eck). The land that the Natives lived on was more than a place to habituate; it was abundant in Native culture and…
In modern times, the western approach towards nature and Life is practical in the sense that it can all be explained by a scientific phenomenon. Due to this mentality, spiritual connections to our roots, nature and Life, are abysmal. To Linda Hogan, writer of Dwellings, this inauspicious approach confirms a detachment from “the treaties once made with [nature]”(11), to which Native Americans dearly hold on to. Throughout Dwellings, Hogan recounts significant experiences that enable her to inch closer to her roots and raise her awareness on the beauties of Life.…
The relationship between Kinship and the Dreaming showcase moral and ethical rules which is the heart of Indigenous Australian spirituality (Jawoyn Association,…
However, Aboriginal’s persist to encapsulate the authentic Ancestral Dreaming, as a medium to succeed the indigenous ‘fight’ for land rights and native title. Here, their inextricable connection with the land is being restored through the land rights movement where they are able to foster their lost connection with the fabric of life- their inextricable connection with the land; through which the marks of dispossession are slowly fading. The notion of ‘Terra Nullius’ under the European settlers’ jurisdiction acted as a detriment to the Aboriginals, as it preached their mass genocide- genocide of their being and identity. Judith Wright accentuates that “the all-embracing net of life and spirit which had held land, and people, and all things together was in tatters. The sustaining ceremonies could not be held, men and women could not visit their own birthplaces or carry out their duties to the spirits”.…
In summation, it is important to be aware of the Aboriginal cultural aspects in terms of axiology, ontology, epistemology and methodology when connecting with an Aboriginal individual or community on such a…
We as humans must go through many times of crisis in our lifetime, and how we respond to these difficult times speaks to our personality and perception of life. When an individual is placed in a crisis situation, they will form their own perspectives as to how best to deal with the situation. This reaction, in turn, will serve as a reflection of their values and views of life. We Must Have Dreams by John Amagoalik reflects this idea in its ability to define Amagoalik’s values based upon his reactions to differing conflict situations he is faced with. Amagoalik demonstrates many different aspects of the same situation, and shows his differing interpretations to each aspect, which defines his perspective of Inuit culture, as well as some aspects…
I lived in an inland rural area of New South Wales, and after finishing school I moved to Kununurra, a northern remote area in Western Australia. This was a place where my knowledge and understanding of the Aboriginal people their culture, history and identity was largely developed. I was exposed to so many dimensions of the different ways they lived, whether it was traditionally in remote communities or within the township. This exposure tested and challenged my thoughts, it lead me to further question some of the reasons why the Aboriginal people had vastly different ways of living. During the 3 years I lived in Kununurra I gained much repect for their culture and…
The ancient civilizations held dream interpretation to high standards. They believed that they were messages from the Gods or the demons. For example, the Babylonians believed that the good dreams were sent from the Gods that they prayed to, and the bad dreams were sent from the devils. They connected most of their dreams to their religion as they had a Goddess of dreams who averted bad dreams. This proves that dreams, and what they meant, were very important to this ancient civilization.…
It was since the period of the Stone Age and up to the greeting with Europeans, the first colonizers in North America dwelled primarily as huntsmen and collectors. Throughout the most primitive ages, the Stone Age, the North American pioneers had the identical cultivation transformations as well, when approximately twenty-thousand years before, a band of natives relocated to lower regions of North American and stayed there. These individuals acknowledged sharing distinctive beliefs which were in line with their background and habitats. As civilization developed and their customs of life transformed, the customary religious traditions were still obeyed. The distinctive Native American societies all had their personal distinct outlook of the…
The best answer I have heard so far as to how the earth came about was with the Indigenous religion as to the world of having no point of origin. All the biblical stories that I have heard seems to have come from other religion except Christianity. How is it that the stories, example the story of Sargon changes to Moses? Are both these Gods the same Gods?…
The message of the poem is that throughout the Indigenous people’s lives, they were forced to conform to more ‘civilised’ ways and other religions.…