Concepts of Indigenous Australian Cultures

Concepts of Indigenous Australian CulturesIndigenous Australian CulturesThe dreamThe English verbiage has no exact word or phrase that depicts The Dreaming and individually Indigenous Australian language hosts has its own term to refer to this epoch. In Western Australia Ngarinyin bulk 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 piece it is Bugari. While the English word suggests fantasies or vague recollections of the real universe the Indigenous Australian translation sees The Dreaming as inherent reality (Edwards, 1998).The Dreaming is how fundamental people explain how their cosmea came to be. Clarke (2003, p.16) suggests culture and lifestyle in traditional indigen culture atomic number 18 shaped by their values, beliefs and the relationship between Indigenous Australians and every peculiarity of dropscape and living creature. The spiritual beings that feature in The Dreaming accounts ar the spiritual Ancestors of the present day old community and continue to twist the beliefs and values of indigen 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 oft resembled people and or animals continue to inhabit these features of the world today. Both consequences and punishments be depicted in The Dreaming and form life lessons that argon overlap throughout generations. For example the Dhuwa shares The Dreaming of a hunter who abducts a tender 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 confine in the prison he made forever (Abc.net.au, 2015)KinshipFor Aboriginal Australians bloodship is more than than family genetics or note ties. Kinship is a comple x system based around cordial 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 bug out through generations from Ancestors of The Dreaming and are based on reciprocal actions, such as giving of privileges in return for similar privileges. Rights and obligations are refractory by an individuals kin, and such influences include who you may marry, share food and resources with, who will look after an individual and who might explicate them.Kinship systems consist of Moiety, Totems and skin call. Moiety is a form of amicable organisation meaning two halves. Each individual is assigned a moiety group from either the matrilineal (mother) or patrilineal (father)s line. Moiety governs where attendants are chosen from. For example a marriage p nontextual matterner 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 raise be animals or plants, they hold special meaning to a group of individuals (Bani, 2004). They are filled with the spirit of their ancestors. Individuals become the generational custodians of their particular unnameable 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 Indigenous Australians have been practicing sustainable land and economic worry for thousands of years. Long before European settlement Aboriginal Australians have used techniques to increase the numbers and growth of plants and animals. Clearing trees and creating grasslands for paring while maintaining patches of forest for shelter are examples of these techniques (Australian National University, 2011).While The Dreaming and affinity organisation describe Aboriginal men as hunters, and women gatherers, Women are more reliable food suppliers than men due their sources being more plentiful, whereas hunting cannot be guaranteed (Dingle, 1988 p. 13).Aboriginal people created trade routes across the state of matter and exchanged food, shells and psycho-active drugs such as Pituri. Individuals would not travel the entire distance, they would butt against at waterholes, where exchanges would be made and then return to their Nation.Resource management is cr itical to the sustainability of the Aboriginal culture. Seasonal calendars impact the strategies used to ensure effectual methods were utilised, including hunting animals at the time of year they are at their fattest wherefore providing maximum nourishment. Ensuring animals werent hunted during breeding season or carrying their unripened 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). beginning(a) 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 state on Earth http//www.anu.edu.au/vision/videos/5001/, (March 9, 2015).Bani, E. (2004). Torres News, the voice of the islands What is a totem? In R. Davis (ED.), twist histories, dancing lives Torres Strait Islander identity, culture and history ( pp.151). Acton A.C.T AIATSIS.Clarke, P. (2003). Where the ancestors 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). Living the dreaming. In C. Bourke, E. Bourke, B. Edwards (Eds.),Aboriginal Australia an prefatorial 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