Concepts of Indigenous Australian Cultures

Concepts of Indigenous Australian CulturesIndigenous Australian CulturesThe DreamingThe English language has no exact word or phrase that depicts The Dreaming and each Indigenous Australian language groups has its own term to refer to this epoch. In Western Australia Ngarinyin people refer to it as Ungud, the Central Australian Aranda people as Aldjerinya, the Pitjantjara of north-west South Australia as Tjukurpa, while in the Broome region it is Bugari. trance the English word suggests fantasies or vague recollections of the real humankind the Indigenous Australian translation sees The Dreaming as inherent worldly concern (Edwards, 1998).The Dreaming is how immemorial people explain how their world came to be. Clarke (2003, p.16) suggests culture and lifestyle in traditional primaeval culture are shaped by their values, beliefs and the kin between Indigenous Australians and every feature of landscape and living creature. The spiritual existences that feature in The Dreaming accounts are the spiritual Ancestors of the present day Aboriginal community and continue to influence the beliefs and values of Aboriginal Australians (Clarke, 2003, p. 16).The Dreaming tells of the creation of land, trees, plants, rocks, waterholes, rivers, mountain, stars and animals and the journeys the Aboriginal Ancestors travelled. The spirits of these Ancestors whom often resembled people and or animals continue to inhabit these features of the world today. Both consequences and punishments are depicted in The Dreaming and form life lessons that are shared throughout generations. For example the Dhuwa shares The Dreaming of a hunter who abducts a young girl and traps her in a cave with him. While he sleeps she transforms into a butterfly and escapes. In his anger he transforms into a bat and is pin down in the prison he made forever (Abc.net.au, 2015) family relationshipFor Aboriginal Australians kinship is more than family genetics or blood ties. Kinship is a complex syste m based around social organisation, which outlines responsibilities within Nations, clans and family groups. (University of Sydney, 2005-15)Kinship and family are especially important to Indigenous Australians. As it guides responsibilities to their kin and environment. Kinship is so dominant for the Wiradjuri people they speak of kin as their whole world (MacDonald, 1998 p. 303).Kinship in the many Aboriginal Nations shares common components as well as differences. The all-embracing systems have been handed down through generations from Ancestors of The Dreaming and are based on reciprocal actions, such as giving of privileges in crop for similar privileges. Rights and obligations are determined by an persons kin, and such influences include who you may marry, share food and alternatives with, who will look after an individual and who might educate them.Kinship systems consist of Moiety, Totems and skin names. Moiety is a form of social organisation meaning two halves. apiece i ndividual is depute a moiety group from either the matrilineal (mother) or patrilineal (father)s line. Moiety governs where participators are chosen from. For example a marriage partner must come from the opposite moiety. Each nation has their own names for each half of moiety. Arnhem Nation refer to it as Dhuwa and Yirrity while Wiradjuri as Dilbi and Kuputhin. Each individual belongs to a totem dependant on when they were conceived. Aboriginal totems can be animals or plants, they hold special meaning to a group of individuals (Bani, 2004). They are make full with the spirit of their ancestors. Individuals become the generational custodians of their particular sacred places, ceremonies and dreaming stories. A person has four totems that represent Nation, Clan, family and a personal totem that recognises their strengths and weaknesses, this totem maybe given at birth or later in life (University of Sydney, 2005-15).Economic organisationGoodall (1996, p. 2) has suggested Indigeno us Australians have been practicing sustainable land and economic management for thousands of years. Long ahead European settlement Aboriginal Australians have used techniques to increase the numbers and growth of plants and animals. Clearing trees and creating grasslands for grazing while maintaining patches of forest for shelter are examples of these techniques (Australian subject area University, 2011).While The Dreaming and kinship organisation describe Aboriginal men as hunters, and women gatherers, Women are more reliable food suppliers than men due their sources being more plentiful, whereas search cannot be guaranteed (Dingle, 1988 p. 13).Aboriginal people created trade routes across the country and exchanged food, shells and psycho-active drugs such as Pituri. Individuals would not travel the entire distance, they would border at waterholes, where exchanges would be made and then return to their Nation.Resource management is critical to the sustainability of the Aborigin al culture. Seasonal calendars impact the strategies used to ensure effective methods were utilised, including hunting animals at the time of year they are at their fattest therefore providing maximum nourishment. Ensuring animals werent hunted during breeding season or carrying their young was another resource management strategy used. (Anon, 2015)ReferencesAbc.net.au, (2015) DustEchoes. (online) Available at http//www.abc.net.au/dustechos/dustEchoesFlash.htm, (March 11, 2015)Anon, (2015). 1st ed. ebook Available at http//www.larrakia.csiro.au/pdf/MingayoorooSeasonsCalendar.pdf (Accessed 15 Mar, 2015).Australian National University. (2011). Bill Gammage discusses The Biggest Estate on Earth http//www.anu.edu.au/ hatful/videos/5001/, (March 9, 2015).Bani, E. (2004). Torres News, the voice of the islands What is a totem? In R. Davis (ED.), Woven histories, dancing lives Torres Strait Islander identity, culture and history (pp.151). Acton A.C.T AIATSIS.Clarke, P. (2003). Where the anc estors walked Australia as an Aboriginal landscape. Sydney Allen Urwin.Dingle, T. (1988). Aboriginal economy and society Patterns of experience. Melbourne McPhee Gribble and Penguin Books.Edwards, B. (1998). life sentence the dreaming. In C. Bourke, E. Bourke, B. Edwards (Eds.),Aboriginal Australia an introductory reader in Aboriginal studies (2nd ed.) (pp.77-99).St Lucia, QLD University of Queensland Press.Goodall, H. (1996). Invasion to embassy. St Leonards Allen UnwinMacDonald, G. (1998). Continuities of Wiradjuri tradition. In W.H. Edwards (ED.), Traditional Aboriginal society An introductory reader in Aboriginal studies (2nd ed.) (pp. 297-312). South Melbourne MacMillan.University of Sydney. (2002-15). The kinship module. http//sydney.edu.au/kinship-module/ (March 10, 2015).Cant remember if I used this oneAboriginal art and culture centre Alice Springshttp//aboriginalart.com.au/gallery/gallery_intro.html