Australia Post - 1945 Flashcards
Definition - The Dreaming
A complex concept, incorporating entirety of Aboriginal spirituality/culture
- embraces creative era past Ancesteral Beings
-meaning of life
-encaspulates spiritual/physical dimension
Discuss How Aboriginal Spirituality Is Determined By The Dreaming
-Kinship
-Ceremonial life
-Obligations to the land and people
Definition/Example Of Kinship
Definition = system of belonging (relationships)
- Belonging/responsibilities to particular tribe (metaphysical connection)
-extend to land and govern dancing, ceremonies, raising children
- creates a connection with ancestor spirits, the land and ultimately the Dreaming.
EXAMPLE - Bob Randall “The completeness of the oneness” → concept referring to Kanyini
Definition/Example Of Ceremonial Life
Definition = celebrates an Aboriginal person’s relationship with Dreaming
- connect Aboriginal people to land/identity
- represent ‘present’ ascpect of dreaming (acknowledgement of creation)
- 4 important roles within Dreaming: Rites of Passage, passing on social information, facilitating personal connections and facilitating spiritual connections
EXAMPLE - Walpiri (Juju) in coming of age ceremony (totem assigned to them)
Definition/Example Of Obligations To Land And People
Definition = the land is the physical medium which lived Dreaming and communicated inextricably
- Rituals on the land are connected to sacred sites where Dreaming events occur. (balance rites)
-Two way relationship with land providing life physiclally (food/shelter)
EXAMPLE - Mount Gulaga - sacred side for Yuin people. Considered ‘mothe’r giving stregnth, creation, protection’
Issues For Aboriginal Spiriatualities
- The effect of disposession
- The land rights movement
What Are The Three Syllabus Dot Points Under The Effect Of Disposession
- Separation from the land
- Separation from kinship groups
- The Stolen Generations
Definition - Disposession
Definition = Inevitable breakdown and removal from their culture, land through process of law
- Assimliation/protectionism
Separation Of The Land
Definition = Loss of land = loss of identity and leads = unable to fulfill ritual responsibilities
- Colonisation 1788 Terra Nullis saw systematic removal of Aboriginal tribes from their Dreaming stories and totems, found in the land
- feel a complete loss of purpose in life which leads to a mental, emotional, physical loss and issues.
Separation From Kinship Groups
Definition = removal from kinship groups destroyed kingship and the identity of Aboriginal people
- Breakdown of structures held together by elders authority
- “Horrific nature if dispossession”
- 1901 Policy of Assimilation → Saw further pressure to remove mixed Aboriginal people from those of full blood, further destroying kinship ties.
Stolen Generations
Definition = 1800s to 1970s, indigenous children were forced separate from their families was government policy
- 100,000 children were removed in a deliberate attempt to remove their aboriginal culture
- The Bringing them Home Report → The report revealed the shattering effect of these policies and included a loss of heritage, culture,language, land and community.
- 54 recommendation to government, Churches and other community groups E.G Recommendation 7.a National Sorry Day
- Aboriginal life expectancy is 20 years lower than the average Australian. This stat is an indication of a poor underclass in society caused by the separation from land, kingship and family.
Definition = Land Rights Movement
A religious political movement that seeks to secure the inherent rights of Aboriginal people to their land, and to ensure that their religious, spiritual and cultural integrity is preserved
What Are The Three Syllabus Dot Points Under The Land Rights Movement
- Native Title
- Mabo
- Wik
Native Title/Mabo
- Native Title was given by the High Court of Australia to Indigenous property rights recognised by the court, as handed down in the Mabo decision of 1992.
- In 1992, the High Court decided Eddi Mabo and the Merian people of Mer ( the Murray Islands) in the Torres Strait continued to have a traditional right to possess and live on most lands of Mer.
- This ruling was unprecedented as there had previously been no recognition of traditional land rights at all. The High Court’s ruling included a rejection of the idea that Terra Nullius, no man’s land, had been established at the time of European settlement.
- Instead the court ruled that Native Title exists where indigenous people have maintained continuous traditional connection with the land and if government acts haven’t extinguished that title. As a result of this landmark court case, the Parliament passed the Native Title Act of 1993.
- This piece of legislation stated that Native Title is the traditional rights and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
- Native Title can’t prevail over freehold title, which means that most homes, farms, and commercial properties still maintain priority.
Wik
- Is a continuation for this fight for Native Title.
- The Wik people of western Cape York in Queensland argued that pastoral leases granted over their area of claim didn;t extinguish their Native Title Rights.
- In December 1996 the High Court handed down their judgment, which held that Native Title rights could co-exist in the land under claim by the Wik people, however in any conflict, the pastoralists rights would prevail. This then led to the passing of the Native Title Amendment Act in 1998 which abolished the right of Native Title claimants to negotiate with the government for land that the gov wishes to acquire.
How Does The Land Rights Movement Relate To Dreaming?
- aim of land rights = allow for proper expression of the Dreaming
- connection to the land is funstelemnt to Aborigional people’s integrity
- rituals are conducted on the land/art is often about the land and sacred objects are from landscape
- recognises Indigenous connection to land, sacred sites, totems allowing for continuation of culture/identity
- vital for dreaming valued by non-indigeneous Australians
The religion landscape from 1945 to the present
-Changing patterns of religious adherence
-current religious landscape
Changing patterns of religious adherence
-Census includes capturing the religious affiliations of Australians at the time. It tells us a lot about patterns of religious expression in Australia.
-Christianity is the most notable religion on the decline in Australia.
-been the dominant religion for the census’ whole history
-2011 Catholicism was most affiliated (25.3%), in 2021 non religion took over at 38.4% to Catholicism 20%. It was the first census where majority of Australia didn’t identify as Christians.
-Anglicanism saw the worst drop off rate from 13.3% in 2016 to 9.8% in 2021. Judaism and Buddhism remained stable
-Religious growth was mainly seen outside Christianity especially in religions with high rates of immigration numbers.
-The biggest non Christian religions in 2021: Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism
-Biggest trends: non religion increased from 30% in 2016 to 38.9% in 2021 and 2.8 million people
Current Religious Landscape Dot Points
-Christianity as a major religious tradition
-Immigration
-Denominational switching
-Rise of new age religions
-Secularism
Christianity As A Major Religious Tradition
-98% of original 3.8 million people in 1901 affiliated with Christianity.
-All variants are considered here, though a special mention is given to the uniting church which formed in 1977
-despite percentage decline, it remains the dominant religious tradition
-supported by strong migration from Britain, Philippines, Vietnam and Europe.
Immigration
-Biggest influence on Australia religious landscape.
-Three waves:
1.Post WWII- migration from Europe + Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Greece; giving rise to growth and diversity of Catholicism and orthodox churches.
2. Abolition of the White Australian Policy- led to more multi-faith and multi-cultural society.
It led to migration from south east Asia (eg Vietnam) + middle east (Lebanon)
3. Recent Global events- regional war led to refugees and asylum seekers coming to Australia eg from Sudan, Syria and Iraq
Denominational Switching
-Changing from one denomination to another
- In 1991 National life Survey, 29% of protestants switched in the past 5 years.
-Catholics tend to have a higher loyalty rate
-Pentecostalism has the highest rate of switches in and out —> revolving door syndrome
-Reasons: meet their needs, shorter services, open views, broad approach to worship, style of worship, proximity to home, charismatic leaders.
Rise Of New Age Religions
-Trends which move away from traditional forms of expression in the search for meaning and spiritual answers.
-Grew particularly in 1960s-70s
-Characterised by an interest in sensual experiences, objects and rituals
-eg astrology, crystals, karma etc
Secularism
= belief that religion should not interfere with or be integrated into public affairs of society
- prompts idea of society to be better off by not being controlled by religion
Reasons Include:
1) Pluralism = diversity of beliefs/cultures
2) Invidividualism, materalism and sceptism towards the supernatural as a result of scientific progress
3) Disillusionment with traditional religions –> as a result perceived hypocracy, abuse of power and irrelevance of the traditional in contemporary world.
