Aboriginal spirituality determined by the dreaming Flashcards
1
Q
What is the dreaming?
A
- Foundation of Aboriginal life, spirituality and culture
- central concept that underpins all Aboriginal spirituality
- Metatemporal (connects past, present and future)
- Inextricably connected with the land and Aboriginal life
2
Q
What is Kinship?
A
- System of relationships traditionally accepted by a particular culture and the rights and obligations they involve
- complex relationships of blood and spirit that exists between Aboriginal Peoples.
- Each person has a different role and responsibility that lead to a rich personal and social life
- Kinship groups are established by family and totem relationships
3
Q
What are skin names?
A
- Baby given a skin name by the elders who know the baby’s family tree
- show who people can marry
4
Q
what are totems?
A
- Natural object, plant or animal that is inherited by members of a clan or family as their spiritual emblem
- Represents ongoing life-force of the dreaming
- Spirits require kinship groups to be designated territory and totems
5
Q
What is ceremonial life?
A
- Is the ritual and artistic expression of the dreaming obligations to the land and people
6
Q
What are the aspects of ceremonial life?
A
Art:
- illustrates the actions of the ancestral beings in the land
Stories:
- foundation and explanation of various aspects of tradition and law
- teaches aboriginal children about right and wrong behaviour in society
- explains creation of the natural world
7
Q
What are overall rituals
A
- understood as a moment of reliving the past in the present moment the creative activities of the ancestor spirits
- ancestral beings are made present through the people, objects, words and movements of the ritual
- rites of passage: initiation, death and burial
- periodic ceremonies
- public corroboree
8
Q
what are death and burial rites
A
- death is not the end of life but the last ceremony in the present life
- Belief that spirits of the dead return to the dreaming places they have come from
- burial grounds and spirits of the dead are feared
- names of the dead must not be spoken
9
Q
What are the obligations to land and people
A
- responsibility to care for and nurture the land
- the land is sacred
- dreaming is inextricably connected to the land as it provides a medium in which the dreaming is lived and communicated
- sacred sites extremely important
- land symbolises the ‘mother’
- land not only provides food and water but is also the repository of the secret/sacred - the activities of dreaming ancestor beings
10
Q
How were Aboriginal people separated from the land?
A
- “Terra Nullius” empty land which is a concept of British Law
- denied Aboriginal people access to waterholes, hunting grounds and sacred sites
- concept of private property meant Aboriginal people were deprived access to their traditional land
- new introduced species destroyed the land
- seperation from land = no sense of belonging to life, loss of purpose in life, denies the individual ability to return to spiritual world after death
11
Q
How were Aboriginal people separated from family
A
The stolen generation
- seperated from families
- seperated from aboriginal life
- seperated from land
- seperated from native language
Seperation from Kinship groups
- dispossession of Aboriginal people from their land, meant the destruction of their complex kinship structure
12
Q
What was the Mabo case 1992?
A
- 1992 the high court of Australia ruled in favour of an action brought by Eddie Mabo on behalf of the Murray Island people
- overturned “Terra Nullius”
- recognised and gave native title to the certain groups of the Murray Islands people
- in order to claim native title it has to be proved that continuous links with the land had been maintained since before 1788
13
Q
What was the native title act 1993/4
A
- legislation allowing for indigenous people to legally appeal for native title and be recognised with such
- didn’t always guarantee access to sacred sites due to pre-established freehold leased + proof of connection was difficult
14
Q
What was the Wik case 1996?
A
- native title could co-exist with pastoral leases
- government owned land but leased it out to private owners
- was not beneficial
15
Q
What was the native title amendment act 1998?
A
- abolished the right of native title claims and the right to negotiate for government owned land
- a step back
16
Q
2011 to 2016 census data
A
1.catholic 25.3%. No religion 30.1%
2.No religion 22.3%. Catholic 22.6%
3.Anglican 17.1% Anglican 13.3%
4.uniting church 5%. uniting church 3.7%
5.presbyterian 2.8%. christian 2.6%
8. islam 2.2%. 6. islam 2.6%
17
Q
Christianity
A
- Methodist church ceased to exist after 1977
- uniting church of Australia joined the census after the break down of the methodist church, and many of the members were absorbed into the uniting church
- Uniting church created in Australia
- uniting church consists of congregational union of Australia, the methodist church of Australasia and the Presbyterian chinch of Australia
- growth of Pentecostalism 0.2% in 1966 to 1.1% in 2016
- 2006 more denominations joined under christian
- in 2016 catholics fell below the declaration of ‘no religion ‘
18
Q
Islam
A
- grew from 2.2% to 2.6% in 2016
19
Q
Buddhism
A
- declined from 2.5% to 2.4%
20
Q
Hinduism
A
1.9% of aus population in 2016
21
Q
sikhism
A
0.5% of the population
22
Q
judaism
A
steady, remained 0.4%
23
Q
no religion
A
- no religion box appeared in 1991
- in 2016 no religion overtook catholicism in census
- 27% of overseas born population was classified no religion
24
Q
christianity as a major religious tradition
A
- increasing secularisation
- dissatisfaction with traditional religious movements
- ageing adherents
- these factors contribute to the decline of christianity
25
catholicism
- increased between 1947 20.9% to 27.3% in 1991 until 1996 when it had its first drop
26
pentecostalism
- remains steady
- 'revolving door syndrome'
- well known for modern music appealing to younger generations
27
impacts of Immigration
- creating a multicultural and multi-faith society
- the abandonment of the white Australia policy
- migration after ww11 increased catholics from italy
- ending of white Australia policy brought immigrants from Europe
- the vietnam war
- conflict in iran, iraq
28
Denominational switching
- transfer between christian denominations
- common in protestant denominations
29
Rise of New age religions
- focuses on fostering individual fulfilment in regards to happiness, health and meaning in life
- they are individualistic and search-oriented
- e.g. astrology, tai chi
- reject monotheism
30
Secularism
- Religion and government should be seperate and not interfere with the running of society
- increasing pluralism
- disillusionment with traditional religions
- greater trust in science
31
ecumenical movements within christianity
- discussion between christian religions
- world missionary conference 1910 first major commitment to ecumenism
- world council of churches formed in 1937
- 1977 Australian churches combined to make the uniting church
32
What is the National council of churches in Australia (NCCA)
- formed in 1994
- many churches were members of the NCCA
- not members: baptists, Presbyterian, seventh day adventists
- aims to promote an emphasis on similarities, an appreciation of differences and a unified front of important issues, and a joint approach in social issues e.g. homelessness
33
NSW ecumenical council
- began 1982
- encourages social justice and operates on an ecumenical level to achieve this
- come together as their christian duty insists
34
interfaith dialogue
- the NCCA has established the national dialogue of christians, muslims and jews
- the council fo christians and jews - create services and educational seminars
- the affinity intercultural foundation
- pope jon XXII changed relationship between christians and non-christians
women's interfaith network
35
Aboriginal spiritualities and reconciliation
- recognition Australia - recognises injustices and aims to strengthen relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous
- the uniting aboriginal and islander christian congress example of ongoing example of indigneous leadership
- jews held reconciliation week
- the NSW jewish board of deputies released a statement of reconciliation for indigenous australians
