...Australia is a continent with a rich history and incredible diversity. It has been home to one of the most ancient populations of people, rather appropriately known as the Aborigines, or “first ones.” These people lived in harmony with the land, resourcefully adapting to and drawing sustenance from the arid landscape. The isolated nature of the continent allowed the Aborigines to thrive, undisturbed, for tens of thousands of years, but the limited contact with outsiders left them unprepared for the arrival of European settlers that first appeared in the 19th century. Unfortunately, the Aboriginal culture and nomadic lifestyle was thoroughly misunderstood by the Europeans. The ensuing European colonization had a profoundly negative effect on the Aboriginal population of Australia, nearly destroying their culture and almost eradicating the entire native population. It is believed that during the last ice age, some 50,000-60,000 years ago, the sea level was much lower with a large portion of the Earth’s water tied up in glacial ice. A land bridge existed between Australia, New Guinea and the continent of Asia that provided a means of ground transportation for ancient travelers. This land bridge was subsequently submerged when the climate warmed, isolating Australia’s inhabitants. This is the one of the leading theories for the means by which Aborigines came to the oceanic continent (Grabowski 27). The Aborigines were a hunter-gatherer population that learned to live in...
Words: 412 - Pages: 2
...AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINALS Dana Weaver Ant101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Prof. Steven Sager Sept 2, 2012 In this paper, I will explain in detail how the kinship system works with the Australian Aboriginals. I will also explain how this system relates to how the live and interact in their society. I also want to compare their kinship system with ours here in America. The Aboriginals culture is a very complex and diverse culture. The Indigenous cultures of Australia are the oldest living culture in the world. “They go back at 50,000 years. ( http://australia.gov.au) They survived that long because of their ability to adapt to their environment and change over time. The Aboriginals are divided into small groups called clans. The clan’s usually had a common ancestor and they all considered themselves related.”(Australian.gov.au) Members of tribes distinguished themselves from each other through their dialects.” There were probably about 600 tribes within Australia in 1788, when the first Europeans arrived.” (indigenousaustralia.info)Tribes that spoke closely related dialects often grouped themselves together under the term of being a nation. “Australian Aboriginal kinship is the system of law governing social interaction, particularly marriage, in traditional Australian Aboriginal culture.”( wikipedia.org ) It is an integral part of the culture of every Aboriginal group across Australia. “The system of kinship put everybody in a specific relationship...
Words: 2257 - Pages: 10
...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...
Words: 2305 - Pages: 10
...THE DREAMTIME by H.Q.Mitchell Back to the dreamtime???this story is about a teenager from aboriginal boy raised in white Australian society called Richard MacDonald. He adopted by Joe,his adopted father and sonya,his adopted mother.Richard also have adopted big brother,Tom which same school with him and adopted younger sister,Judy. They never thought he as a adopted son. They really caring obout him eventhough their colour are not same. In this story,Richard always had a same dream that something calling him.The moral values that contained in “Back To The Dreamtime” novel are Good Responds by family, a sense of love, Responsibility, Never give up, and Mutual Respect. I think besides interesting, it is also giving some lessons to the readers. The first of moral values that contained in this novel is good respond by family. It can we see from there are good responds from Mc Donald family to Richard, though Richard is not they the biological child. McDonald family was very closer each other, no jealousy and favoritism. For example, when Sonya (his mother) woke up Richard, Sonya smiled with him and also made him some food. Besides that, Tom and Judy are Richard stepbrother and stepsister, they not jealous each other. The other morale value is a sense of love that they give to Richard like their other child. For example, when Sonya and Joe explain about aboriginal decoration to Richard with carefully like in the text “your father and I love you dearly, and whatever...
Words: 679 - Pages: 3
...This paper will talk about the makings of cross-cultural shared film in describing and or challenging hegemonic depictions of Aboriginal people; the main emphasis being above all regarding Australian Aboriginal individuals. Exercising the current film ‘Ten Canoes’ directed by Rolf De Heer (2006), produced in working together amongst the Australian- Yolngu individuals and the non-Indigenous Rolf De Heer, this paper will argue whether cross-collaborative film developments can effectively and practically give power to the Aboriginal individuals as a mode of confrontation to cultural domination and management and as well as a contemporary structure of cultural reminiscence and regeneration, as Eric Michaels (1987) calls it a ‘cultural future’ (no.page), and also how essential dialogue is in development of an ‘ethical, postcolonial’ film in Australian film and television. In Australian film, the depictions of Aboriginal individuals have traditionally been together notified by racist ideologies and helpful to the growth of these philosophies in the normal Australian culture (Turner, 1988; 135). In Australia, films ‘about’ Aboriginal individuals persist to strengthen the hegemonic formations of cultural authority and prevention of having power of Aboriginal individuals from the Australian norm (Langton, 1983; 33). Marcia Langton (1983; 33) a top Aboriginal scholar claims that, in Australia, variety of media communication have taken place and remain to be one of the most influential...
Words: 1835 - Pages: 8
...Reconciliation for the Common Good Reconciliation involves building mutually respectful relationships between Indigenous and other Australians that allow us to work together to solve problems and generate success that is in everyone's best interests. The process of Reconciliation formally began as a result of the Report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991. The issue of Reconciliation is of great importance to common good because it helps avoid feelings of revenge, anger and hatred and a commitment to social justice as well as a way to ensure lasting peace and stability and to improve the relationship for the common good. Reconciliation aims to address the inequity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians that was introduced with the colonisation of Australia in 1788. Some relevant points around Reconciliation for the Common Good are, the referendum laws for Aboriginal people on May 27 1967, the report of the Royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody in 1991, as well as the Formal apology for the members of the stolen generations in 2008. Reconciliation for the common good was the referendum laws for Aboriginal people on May 27, 1967. It enabled Indigenous people to be included in the census, and it enabled federal parliament the power to make laws in relation to Indigenous people. This meant that Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people were all required to follow the same laws set out by the government, and that Indigenous...
Words: 1779 - Pages: 8
...For many young Australians, little knowledge is known about Aboriginal issues. The Stolen Generations is a historical series of events well known to many young Australians. It was important as many Australian Government bodies, alongside with other establishments, were removing children from Aboriginal families and putting them into foster homes. It was expected to cause a disconnection of the culture and structure of Aboriginal clans. From tutorials and lectures, I think that Indigenous issues are often misunderstood. I understood lecture material as providing insight into surviving problems due to the Stolen Generations. This was seen with a disconnection from land and country, and a loss of identity for Indigenous Australian. This had led...
Words: 1543 - Pages: 7
...universe and encompasses everything within. This concept allows for explanations about the ‘Ancestral Beings’ and their travels, creating everything we see today. (Fryer-Smith, 2002) In customary principles, these ‘Ancestral Beings’ hold the power to arbitrate and guide the Aboriginal people’s lives. Indigenous Australians are the oldest inhabitants of the land with the most extensive practise of religion and customs, what we know as the Dreaming. (Edwards, 1998) The role and function of the Dreaming is to teach the Aboriginal people about the norms and mores of the sacred laws. Also known as customary law, these guidelines are an integral part of the Aboriginal culture as it maintains societal normalities. (ALRC, 1986) The Dreaming is a philosophy that binds every aspect of life together, it assists in knowing the past, present and future, and how to make conscious decisions to ensure the world continues triumphantly. According to Korff (2015) white man cannot comprehend the depth of the Dreaming, as it is more an analogy for providing identity and spiritualism to individuals. The diversity within the various communities explains how in-depth the spirituality is and how important this religion is to each Aboriginal person. Each tribe has their own definition and reason behind the Dreaming. The Ngarinyan kin refer to it as ‘Ungud’; the Pitjantatjar know the dreaming as ‘Tjukurpa’, and Yolngu as ‘Wongar’. (Edwards, 1998) The Bundjalung community believe the Dreaming is personal...
Words: 2469 - Pages: 10
...Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are significantly exposed to new cultural, social environment and life style in the past few decades. They also affect from a colonisation process that destroyed their culture, tradition, language, politics and economy (Holland, Dudgeon & Milroy, 2013). Their life has been changed suddenly and has devastating effect on their mental and health well-being. This essay will elaborate the reasons including social and cultural factors contributing significantly higher rate of mental illness and suicidal behaviour and mental health plans that the government has adopted to prevent self-harm and increase mental awareness. There have been a few researches conducted about Aboriginal people’s suicidal behaviour and self-harm. The definition of mental illness has been updated and a few times for the last 50 years on a regular basis (Parker &Milroy, 2014). Mental illness is also known as mental health disorder and it is very common in Australia. Mental disorders as defined by WHO (2016) is “comprise a broad range of problems, with different symptoms. However they are generally characterized by some combination of abnormal thoughts, emotions, behaviour and relationship with others. Examples are schizophrenia, depression, intellectual disabilities and disorders due to drug abuse.” Almost relatively half of the population in Australia suffered affective or substance use disorder and anxiety between the age from 16 to 85 in some stage of...
Words: 2189 - Pages: 9
... • ‘The Australian government were justified in removing Aboriginal children from their families.’ To what extent do you agree with this statement The Stolen Generation has had a traumatic effect on Aboriginal people, their identities and links with their Aboriginal culture. These tremendous effects are still continuing towards the Aboriginal society through the policies and practices that were in place at the time. The Stolen Generation destroyed numerous Aboriginals lives. The damage done to them has not been redeemed, even after many years. Beginning in the 1830's and ending in the early 1970's, many children were taken from their families in an attempt to eradicate the Aboriginal race and culture, ordered by the Australian Government at the time. The Government’s policies and practices regarding the removal of children, their treatment and the continuing effects cannot be resolved, despite the occurrence of the National Inquiry. The Australian Government's policy and practice of removing aboriginal children from their families was in place throughout the country during the 1830's until the 1970's. There was a massive impact on Aboriginals with one particular policy the Australian Government introduced, the policy of ˜Assimilation'. This policy encouraged many Aboriginal people to give up their traditional lifestyle, move in white Australian towns and cities, were made it forget their culture and language and basically were expected to become white Australians. Unfortunately...
Words: 488 - Pages: 2
...Assessment 2: “Culture influences an individual’s perception of illness and health.” 1000 wrds There are many definitions for 'culture' with the anthropologist Sir Edward Tylor (1871) cited by Ravalico (2006) defining it to mean 'that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by a member of society.' Culture also influences how one perceives their health and the idea of what it means to have ‘good health.’ One community group whose culture strongly impacts on individual’s perception of illness and health is the Australian Aboriginal community. Aboriginal Australians have a shorter life expectancy than others (ABS 2008, Shaouli et al 2011) which threatens Aboriginal culture as ‘elders’are the transmitters of Aboriginal culture. Aboriginal people experience worse health and more disease with the latter being three times more than that for the total Australian population (NATSIS 2008 cited by ABS 2008). Culture is one of the many social determinants of health and affects health (Carson, Dunbar, Chenhall and Bailie, 2007). Some indigenous people are fatalistic about their health (Thackrah and Scott 2011) although most can access medical help when needed providing they trusted their medical practitioners (ABS 2008, DATSIPD 2009). Other obstacles include language, lack of public transport and telecommunications (Shaouli et al 2011). Therefore, the impact of culture on individuals’ health is crucial to...
Words: 1621 - Pages: 7
...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...
Words: 654 - Pages: 3
...dominant culture group. This results in a loss of 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...
Words: 2188 - Pages: 9
...and the indigenous minority. In the period following the Second World War, majority of Australians lived in a place where laws ensured order, having enough resources to have a sustainable standard of living. If they didn’t possess or had access to resources, the government benefits and services helped them. The other world was occupied by indigenous Australians whose ancestors had lived in Australia for more than 40 000 years. By the 1950s they lost their land and way of living, living on the edge of town rubbish dumps and sometimes earning money as fruit pickers. State laws didn’t give them any benefits, told where they were allowed to live, stole their children and also had control over who could they marry. Contact between the inhabitants of these worlds was little, the non-indigenous didn’t care or know about the sufferings of the minority. However, in the late 1950s, aboriginal disadvantages became aware in the eyes of some of the majority and what they could do to address it. They recognised the potential to form a grassroots reform movement to bring the rights and protection of Australian citizenship to the dispossessed aboriginal population. From the late 1950s, aboriginal and non-aboriginal activist came together to campaign for equal rights for indigenous Australians and to bring about the dismantle of laws which deprived the indigenous Australians of civil rights. The Australian civil rights movement held series of events before and after, which contributed to the...
Words: 1394 - Pages: 6
... The representation of Indigenous Australians in fiction and non-fiction texts is influenced by a range of factors. The perspectives and representations of Indigenous Australians in fiction and non-fiction texts is influenced by a range of factors. The Indigenous population is often portrayed in ways that strengthen harmful stereotypes. However, there are also a variety of positive outlooks and portrayals expressing their strengths and achievements. These texts were studied in Year 8 English and can be demonstrated by the ‘Crow Country’ novel by Kate Constable, which allows for both historical and stereotyping enrichment that discusses the topic of justice. ‘Integration’ poem by Jack Davis stands for Indigenous culture embodiment...
Words: 1756 - Pages: 8
