Contemporary Aboriginal Spiritualities Flashcards
Dreaming
- The Dreaming represents all knowledge and beliefs in Aboriginal societies. It is the “spirit” of their creation and spirituality.
- The Dreaming is the Aboriginal person’s spirituality, way of life, language, kinship systems and culture.
Kinship
- Complex system of social obligations
- An Aboriginal person’s social group (eg family or mob) and a system of belonging and responsibilities within a clan
Ceremonial Life
The Dreaming is the source of Aboriginal rituals, art, stories, sacred sites, etc. Rituals express the Dreaming.
Obligations
The Dreaming determines an Aboriginal person’s obligations and responsibilities to the land and people. They have an obligation to pass on the Dreaming.
Moieties
- Two halves, balance
- These can be matrilineal or patrilineal.
- They determine who is considered siblings, mother, father, cousin etc.
Skin names
- Indicates a person’s blood line and conveys information about how generations are linked (and thus how they should interact).
- Not necessarily blood
- 4 level system - cycle
Totems
- Kinship is related to their totem - a plant or animal that represents a clan’s connection to the ancestor beings.
- 4 totems: Nation, clan, family and identity
- Personal totem assigned by elders
Lore
First Nations law system
What are the 3 levels of the kindship system?
- Moiety
- Totems
- Skin names
What is the significance of ceremonies and rituals?
- The Dreaming is the source of ceremonies and rituals
- Dreaming’s help maintain an Aboriginal person’s knowledge of the Dreaming
- Ancestral beings and the Dreaming are PRESENT in ceremonies
Types of ceremonies
Rites of passage and initiative - mark significant moments in a Persons’s life, eg birth
Death and Burial - eg Sorry Business - care is taken with their possessions and speaking their name.
Marriage ceremonies - union of 2 people
Periodic ceremonies - various ceremonies with different purposes eg cool burning
Examples of ceremonies
Examples of Indigenous Australian ceremonies:
Smoking ceremonies → acknowledges ancestors, wards off evil spirits, cleanses and heals the place and those involved in the ceremony, elders perform them
Example of Mob that performs this ceremony → Gadigal people
Examples of Caring for Country:
Cool burning → Where small fires burn at a lower intensity than a bushfire. Only the underbrush is burnt, and the burning is closely monitored. Cool burning ensures that seeds and nutrients in tegh soil are not destroyed and therefore the fires reduce the risk of losing a lot of bush and seeds.
Example of Mob that performs this ceremony → Bidjara (Queensland)
What is a corroboree?
Ceremonial meeting to interact with and celebrate the Dreaming.
Sacred sites
- Originate from the Dreaming
- Responsibilities to care for country and sacred sites
- Esoteric
Esoteric
Known only to a particular nation or group
Why are art and stories important for the Dreaming?
- Communicates the Dreaming
- The Dreaming is expressed through art and stories
What are the obligations to land and people?
- Care and maintain the Dreaming
- Know the stories and beliefs
- Knowing the ancestral spirits
- Knowing the practical knowledge of the land
- Passing on the Dreaming
- Knowing the rules and social norms of their clan