IndigenousTraditionsAustralian

AboriginalandTorresStrait
Islanders
http://www.abc.net.au/religion/stories/s790117.htm

Origins
AustraliahastwoindigenouspeoplesAboriginesandTorresStraitIslanders.It
isnotpossibletospeakofoneAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderreligion,as
thereweremany.Thereare,however,sharedculturaltraits,economicand
ceremonialdealings,andacustomarysystemoflandtenurelaw.
ItismisleadingtotrytoseparateAustralianindigenousreligiousexperiencefrom
otheraspectsoftheirlife,cultureandhistory.Itisalsodifficulttospeakof
origins,becauseanindigenousconceptionoftimeconnectspastactionsand
peoplewithpresentandfuturegenerations.Timeiscircular,notlinear,aseach
generationrelivestheDreamingactivities.
Australiasindigenouspeoplesarrivedabout40,000yearsago,whenAsiaand
Australiawerestillconnectedbyalandbridge.Asthelandmassesseparated,the
populationadapteditselftothevariousenvironmentalandclimaticconditionsof
thiscontinent.Aborigineswerenomadic,movingthroughthelandincycles,
sometimesmeetingwithandsharingstorieswithotherclangroups.TorresStrait
Islanders,whoareMelanesianbyethnicorigin,wereseafaringandtrading
peoplesbasedontheislandsbetweenfarNorthQueenslandandPapuaNew
Guinea,andtheirspiritualityandcustomsreflectedtheirdependenceonthesea.
Althoughindigenousbeliefsandculturalpracticesvaryaccordingtoregion,all
groupsshareinacommonworldviewthatthelandandothernaturalphenomena
possesslivingsouls.Thecollectionofstoriesofthesepowerfulbeingsandthe
repositoryofknowledgerepresentedinthesestoriesshapesAboriginaland
TorresStraitIslanderlaw,bothitshistoryandfuture.
TheDreamingorDreamtimeistheEnglishnamegiventotheintimately
connectedbutdistinctstrandsofAboriginalbelief;theyrefernottohistorical
pastbutafusionofidentityandspiritualconnectionwiththetimelesspresent.A
similarconceptwithothernamesstandsattheheartofTorresStraitIslander
spirituality.

AustralianHistory
WhenthefirstEuropeanssettledinAustraliain1788therewere,perhaps,a
millionAboriginesinAustraliaandover200differentspokenlanguages.This
populationwassignificantlyandquicklydepletedthroughacombinationof
warfare,diseaseanddispossessionoflands.Onereasonforthecultural
acceptabilityofcolonialviolencewasthemistakenbeliefthatAborigineshadno
religion.ThecontinuousChristianmissionarypresenceinAboriginal
communitiessince1821hasseenmanyAboriginesconverttoChristianity.
IndigenouscommunitiesacrossAustraliasTopEndhadcontactwiththeMuslim
Macassantradersformanycenturiesbeforewhitesettlement.Inthe1996
Australiancensus,morethan7000respondentsindicatedthattheyfolloweda
traditionalAboriginalreligion.
OrganisationalStructure
Eachclangroupinghasanimportantreligiousspecialistwhowillinitiateand
fostercontactwithspiritsanddivinities.Specificeldersmayalsobekeepersof
specificstoriesorrituals.Sometimesthisknowledgeissegregatedaccordingto
genderthereismensbusinessandwomensbusiness.

KeyBeliefs
Theearthiseternal,andsoarethemanyancestralfigures/beingswhoinhabit
it.

Thesebeingsareoftenassociatedwithparticularanimals,forexample
Kangaroomen,EmumenorBowerbirdwomen.

AstheyjourneyedacrossthefaceoftheEarththesepowerfulbeingscreated
human,plantandanimallife;andtheylefttracesoftheirjourneysinthenatural
featuresoftheland.

Theyalsoconnectedparticulargroupsofpeoplewithparticularregionsand
languages.

Somegroupsheldbeliefinasupremebeing.

TheDreamingcontinuestocontrolthenaturalworld.

KeyFestivals
Ritualceremoniesinvolvingspecialsacredsites,songcyclesaccompaniedby
dance,andbodypainting,andevensports,invokethesemythicandlivingbeings
andcontinuetoprovidethemeanstoaccessthespiritualpowersofThe
Dreaming.

Atimportantstagesofmenandwomenslives,ceremoniesareheldtoseekthe
assistanceofspiritualbeings.Thismakesthemdirectparticipantsinthe
continuingprocessoftheDreaming.

Otherceremoniesareknownasincreaserites,inwhichthewillingnessof
ancestralbeingstoreleasethelandsfertilitydependsuponhumanscontinuingto
performcertainrituals.

Recentyearshaveseenmajorindigenousfestivalsemerge,includingStompin
Ground,YeperenyeDreaming,BarungaFestival,LauraFestival,NARLAKnock
Out,Survival,ComingoftheLight,CROCEisteddfod,NAIDOCand
ReconciliationWeek.