...submission, I chose to create an Aboriginal dot painting. Dot paintings originated from Indigenous Australians in the 1970’s. Dot paintings have developed from sand paintings which were created by clans as they moved from place to place in the desert. The clans would gather around a central site and create paintings using seeds, flowers, sand, stones, feathers, and other natural items they would find. Clan elders would sing their way throughout the painting process which would then divulge tribal knowledge to younger clan members. Each symbol is viewed as lesson in the clan’s heritage, their creation story, the location of sacred sites, food sources and water holes. Fast forward to present time and today these paintings are...
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...There are two similarities when comparing the Jewish, Aboriginal Australian, Hopi, Wakaranga Africa, and Lakota Sioux creation stories which are preexisting deity and humans are created last. The first similarity when comparing all five creation stories is the presents form of deity before the creation process started. First the Jewish creation story there was a god who created the heavens and the earth. Second the Lakota Sioux the gods resided in a celestial domain. Third the Australian Aboriginal, Baiame the god existed before creation. Fourth the Wakaranga African, god existed before creation. Fifth the Hopi, Hard-Being Women existed before the creation story started. There is no explanation for any of the deities in the creation stories they are just there. This...
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...Cosmic Creation Myths across Cultures Leroy Williams HUM/105 World Mythology August 19, 2015 Dr. Cheryl Lampshire Cosmic Creation Myths across Cultures Does anyone really know how the world was created? The creation of the world is a big mystery that may never be resolved. Many people mainly, religious believe that God created the world; and there are others that believe other creators were involved in the process of creating the world. I believe that creation is the most important subject in the myth culture. There are several meanings for creation but according to the dictionary "Creation" (n.d.), “creation is the act of producing or causing to exist; it is also the act of creating and engendering”. Creation myths describe the beginning of the world’s cosmic order. For many years there have been studies done, where scientist have been trying to decipher how the world was created and as of today there is no evidence that will help with its finding. With this paper I will discuss two myths the Aboriginal Myth and the Zulu Creation Myth. Which world or worlds, such as the earth, sky, and the underworld they represent, what the elements of these worlds are? Provide a description of the creators, where they female or male, and would gender actually make a difference? Additionally it will explain what they created, and will include the steps or cycles of creation. Will provide descriptions of any destruction or destroyers if necessary. The role of cosmic...
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...Question Aboriginal music (which includes song, dance and design) is uniquely connected to the creative life-force of the dreaming and according to Magowan (2011, p.43) ‘stories are often told in song as a means of making sense of the world and everything in it. Consider the role of music, story, art and ceremony and discuss their significance for social knowledge’s and education within Aboriginal communities. Aboriginal people have a deep spiritual connection to their country and to the creative life force of the Dreaming. Aboriginal people maintain their system of beliefs, law and culture through a variety of forms including music, stories, art and ceremony. Each of these forms enables Aboriginal people to make sense of the world and everything in it. Throughout this essay the role of music, story, art and ceremony will be discussed with reference to their significance for social knowledge and education for aboriginal communities. However, to understand the variety of forms that Aboriginal people engage in it is vital to have an understanding of the Dreaming which permeates through song, dance, stories, panting and social systems and is central to the existence of Aboriginal people, their lifestyle and culture. The Dreaming The Dreaming is a creative time in which spirit beings emerged from a pre-existent but lifeless substance for example water or land and travelled across the earth in a variety of forms including animals, plants and humans (Edwards 1998, p.17). As...
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...Taylor 1 Taylor Aboriginal Spirituality Sacred Scriptures First Nation religions involve different aspects of social and cultural myths and stories. The stories and myths that the First Nation peoples are not generally written down, and so have been passed on by word of mouth to others in the particular group of Natives. Stories and myths that have been passed on through the generations include of different creation stories, and trickster myths. Creation stories are very important to the First Nation peoples, as they tell the story of how the Earth and they were made. The First Nation peoples have a total of eight creation stories - to which they all do not necessarily mention a God, or a higher power than our own; but instead mention animals, and how we are all connected by life. The story usually included of animals and the four elements (water, earth, fire and air). Earth Diver, being the most traditionally told and known, within the Northern Plain and Eastern Woodland tribes, is the story “in which...the Great Spirit...dives or orders other animals to dive in the...water to bring up mud, out of which he fashions the earth” (Smith). Taylor 2 The trickster myths are generally told to be comedic, as that is somewhat what the myths are. They usually tell about how the transformer, though not always the transformer, would play around and “trick” people. These “tricks” would include of taking fire, water, food, light, animals, or even other people, and then setting...
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...culture, tradition and languages. * Balance rites – Aboriginal rituals that aim to make a supernatural connection with ancestral beings from the dreaming * Crown land – Public land owned by the commonwealth of Australia and managed by Australian government * Dispossession – The forced removal of aboriginal people from their native land. * Dreaming – Aboriginal spiritual beliefs about creation and existence. The dreaming establishes the rules governing relationships between people, land and all things for Aboriginal people. It links together the past, present and future. * Freehold title – Absolute and permanent ownership of the land. * Half-castes – An offensive term referring to a person of mixed decent or ethnicity. * Land rites – Property rights pertaining to land. * Meta-temporal – the trinity of the past, present and future. * Native title – Form of land title, which recognises aboriginal people as rightful owners of their traditional land. * Protection policy – official government policy stating in the late 19th century. Removed aboriginal people from unsuitable environments and placed them under the protection of the state. * Sacred sites – Places of spiritual significance to Aboriginal people as they are connected with ancestor beings from the dreaming, they are places where rituals such as initiation and balance rites are performed. * Stolen generations – Aboriginal children who were removed from their homes between 1900...
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...In this essay, I will describe the life of the Aboriginals in Australia, a characterisation of the character Jack McPhee and some comments of his experiences in the novel “Wanamurraganya”, an analysis of “Mary’s Song Cycle”, and finally I will talk about the movie “Rabbit Proof Fence” First, I will like to start talking about who and what the Aboriginals are, they were the original residentes of Australia and they have been there since around 45.000 years ago, however the Aboriginals claim they trace their creation back to the “Dreamtime”, an era where the earth were created. Before the first settlers came to Australia in 1788, the Aboriginal people lived throughout Australia, although the most of the population lived along the coast. Today more than half of all Aboriginals live in cities, often in cruel conditions with bad educations, and some with the habit of drug, alcohol and smoking addictions. The novel starts with that Jack McPhee is born in 1905, and that he is an illegitimate son of an Aboriginal woman and white station owner. Mary’s Song Cycle is made Ruby Langford Ginibi, she is born Jan 26 1934 and she died Oct 1 2011, she a Bundjalung author, historian and lecturer on Aboriginal history, culture and politics. The poem is narrative, because it a tells a story, the story is about the “stolen generation” and how the Australian government treated the Aboriginals, the poem ask the reader where it’s people, children, traditions and warriors are, but right in the...
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...Jainism is an ancient immanent religion from India that teaches that the way to liberation and bliss. The religion still lives on today and has around 5-6 million believers. The religion is traced back to over 8000 years old. Below is an image and explanation of the Jain symbol. Aboriginal spirituality is an ancient transcendent religion from Australia. It consists of the Dreaming belief that spiritual ancestors of the people. Dreaming is the environment the Aboriginal people lived in and it still exists today “all around us”. Below is an image of the aboriginal flag that represents the traditional aboriginal religion and is still present in Australia today. Black: represents the aboriginal people of Australia. Yellow: represents the sun, the giver of life and protector. Red: represents the red earth, the red ochre used in ceremonies and aboriginal peoples spiritual relationship to the land. Black: represents the aboriginal people of Australia. Yellow: represents the sun, the giver of life and protector. Red: represents the red earth, the red ochre used in ceremonies and aboriginal peoples spiritual relationship to the land. Origins of the universe: Jainism believes that universe and all its substances are eternal (everlasting). Jain cosmology states the world was created perfect but has steadily decayed ever since. All substances continually undergo changes. Previous forms give way to new ones without loosing their own inherent qualities. The Jain belief is that...
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...eastern coast of what is now called Australia but was then New Holland, information about Aboriginal art was always present. The Indigenous cultures of Australia are the oldest living cultures in the world. One of the reasons they have survived for so long is their ability to adapt to change. Despite removing indigenous Aboriginals from their land, separating them, damaging their culture, impressing our beliefs on to them (and using violence); despite our actions, a rich cultural heritage of our human past still lives in North Arnhem Land. It is a priceless heirloom that we must do everything to protect. We have much to remember about ourselves and to understand what worked well for different indigenous tribes who co-existed for thousands of years before outside interference. In the` nineteenth century Aboriginal art itself began to flourish in the low-art practice of craft objects and watercolor paintings made for sale by Christian missions and the tourist industries. In the twentieth century, from the 1950s onwards excellent books devoted to Aboriginal art began to appear, and by the 1970s there were many. With the introduction of missions, roads and infrastructure, the art of making the didgeridoo seemed to then spread across most parts of Australia. The word didgeridoo comes from the word bamboo. Some believe the didgeridoo is the oldest known instrument, from the Australian Aboriginal culture (Latin meaning “in the beginning”). Most researchers believe that the first ones...
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...David Milgarrd was convicted of the murder of Gail Miller. The police were contacted by David's friend, Albert Cadrien, who had become suspicious of the David's behaviour and also seen blood on his shirt. Albert Cadrien was later revealed that he was a payed informant to provide statements towards David. This statement was conflicted with the other two friends of David, Nichol and Ron, which they had said that David was with them the morning Gail had been murdered. Police did not believe their stories and eventually kept bringing them back until one interview where both Nichol and Ron had changed their stories revealing evidence of David being involved in the murder of Gail. During David's trial, it was hard for David to win because the evidence that was used had convinced the judge that David did commit the murder. The statements of his friends were used and also an event of David reenacting actions of the crime, this was seen to have been a terrible joke. After his trial he was found guilty and spent 23 years in prison. On August 28, 1980, Larry Fisher's ex wife, Linda, had suspected Larry to have convicted the murder of Gail, Linda reported that she was suspicious of Larry's reaction toward her assumption that he did commit the murder, she also noticed a knife missing from her kitchen...
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...understanding for Indigenous Australians, deeply rooted in the land and all it encompasses; people, flora, fauna and so on. “The Dreaming mythology provides Aboriginal people with answers to the great universal religious questions of humankind- concerning the origin, meaning, purpose and destiny of life” (Clark, 2003, p. 16). Constructions within the Dreaming are as varied as there are language groups, demonstrated in the varying name ascribed to the Dreaming itself, “Ngarinyin people in the north-west of Western Australia refer to it as Ungud, the Aranda of Central Australia as Aldjerinya, the Pitjantjaljara of north-west South Australia as Tjukurpa, the Yolngu of north-east Arnhem Land as Wongar, while in the Broome region it is referred to as Bugari.” (Edwards, 1998, p. 79). (McKay, McLeod, Jones, & Barker, 2001) identify up to twenty or more lessons can be conveyed in one story, including; customs, animal behaviour, land maps, hunting and gathering skills, cultural norms, moral behaviours and survival skills. For example; ‘Alinga the Lizard Man’, a story from Uluru in the Northern Territory, explains the use of the boomerang; or ‘Pikuw, the Crocodile’, from the Cape York Area of Northern Queensland conveys the offence of extra-marital affairs. The Dreaming is as much about informing the history of Creation as it is informing the structure for life itself. “The Dreaming ancestors provided the model for life. They established a pattern for the daily round of economic...
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...Dreamtime: Time of creation of all things Dreaming: Individuals or groups set of beliefs or spirituality Spirituality Consists of: * Kinship * Ceremonial life * Obligations to land and people (as a result of societal values) Kinship Highly sophisticated networks of relationships that govern interactions between members of language groups Define where a person fits into the community, binding people together in relationships of sharing and obligation Central to the way culture is passed on and society is organised Dynamic and provides a framework for living Defines roles and responsibilities for raising and educating children Provides systems of moral and financial support within the community Influences the social relationships and governs many aspects of everyday behaviour Ceremonial Life Dreaming ceremonies are conducted in the form of song and dance with the use of body parts and a spectacle of lights and costumes Preparation considered part of ceremony Men and women have different roles Different ceremonies in different cultural groups 4 Types: * Rite of passage * Information * Personal * Spiritual Initiation Ceremony Teaches about law and beliefs Allows young person to take their place as an elder Can last years Funeral Ceremonies Number of aspects Wake or celebration after the ceremony Dead person goes back to ancestors land Celebration Ceremonies Celebrate the telling of a dreamtime story of the visiting...
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...polytheistic, meaning that they believe in more than one God, or nondualist, meaning that sacred reality cannot be numbered at all. Some examples of these religions are Australian Aboriginal groups, Native American Indians, African religions, Mesopotamian, Zoroastrianism, Greek, Celtics, Germanic, Hinduism, Jains, and Sikhs. Most of these religions have been practiced for centuries and are still practiced today. There are many similarities and many different ways of these religions. However, within these religions, we are able to compare and contrast some of their religious beliefs, their overall ideas, and how they try to satisfy their human needs. Primal definition is, “original,” the Australian Aborigines, Native American Indians, and African religions are primal religions. “Aborginigine,” means from the beginning. Aboriginal religion is best understood for a vision of the nature and how they are linked and connected with nature and everything around it. Aboriginal spiritually entails a close relationship between humans and the lands. They call the beginning of the world the “Dreaming” or “Dreamtime.” In the “Dreamtime,” aboriginal “Ancestors” rose from below the ground to form the Earth and its resources and lifeforms. Aboriginal belief does not place any human or species higher then nature. Aboriginal many gods/ deities they worshiped and believe in, making them polytheistic. They used totems, they believe the totems are living creatures or natural phenomena that share the...
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...underlies ephemeral physical appearances," as is evident in the effects of Buddha's meditation. The artwork is also applicable to the remainder of Drury and Voigt's quote: the artwork's theme is "sacred" to those of the faith, and the sacred paradox "of being and becoming" at the "very heart of Creation" is showcased in...
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...is known and understood by Aboriginal people. It is the central spiritual concept because it determines not only beliefs and values but also relationships with other people and the overall environment. Aborigines are able to understand creation in a continuing and living sense by virtue of the Dreaming. It explains how the world was created by their ancestors and is passed on orally. E.g. dreaming stories such as the rainbow serpent. Dreaming links Aboriginals to the land, they are interdependent: “Aboriginals live their lives being at one with the land, and without land their Dreaming, tradition and culture are sure to die” (Anne Gray). Kinship – refers to the network of relationships that hold a clan together central to Aboriginal communities. Through kinship, they are instructed about particular obligations, rights and appropriate forms of behavior. It defines where a person fits into the community. Land is important to kinship and is often referred to as “my mother” so it is shared by many people. Disopession- Dispossession resulted in Aboriginals being separated from their physical land, kinship groups and the removal of their children from their families through the “Stolen Generation”. Dispossession first occurred in 1778 when the First Fleet recognised Australia as “terra nullius”. They implemented policies of protectionism where Aboriginals were removed from their rightful land and tribes and placed in missions. This affected aboriginal people in 2008 with many being...
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