Module 1 - Aboriginal Dispossession, Land Rights Movement and New age Religion Flashcards
Kinship (family)
Sophisticated network of relationships governing the interaction between clans, creating belonging and responsibilities.
Rules and obligations
For each kinship group; extends to land, dancing, ceremonies, hunting parties, raising children.
What does a totem for a clan mean?
If the totem is kangaroo, your calm cannot hunt kangaroo; helps preserve ecosystem/over hunting species (balance rights).
Ceremonial life purpose
Rites of passage, Passing on social information, facilitate connections and spiritual connections
All ceremony’s of aboriginals
Acknowledge a createion event and show metaphysical presence of framing world in real world
Death and burial rights of Aboriginals
Possessions of dead are burned, name no longer spoken, tribe moves away. Believed as last ceremony in present life, must buried in own country for spirits to bring to rest.
What is the land to aboriginals
Physical medium where dreaming is live out and resting place of ancestral spirits: occupy sacred sites
The land is the meeting point between -
Kinship and ceremonial life - totems come from dreaming and land
Terra nullius
First policy of European settlers, aboriginals are ‘dying race’, policy replaced for Christian missionaries to evangelise aboriginals to outskirts of white society.
What did terra nullius do to aboriginals
Left land and obligations on tatters, sustaining ceremonies can’t be held, men/women can’t visit birthplaces for duty to spirits. All dreaming connection lost.
Separation of kinship groups
Split from land broke dreaming family’s, mixed with no inter-tribal relationship regards and kinship rules. Mass psychological effect cause of deep ties to land for totems, language, ceremonies and framing - unseen by europeans. Aboriginals purpose was lost.
Christian denomination impact on aboriginals
Missions of Christian denominations evangelised Aboriginal by separation, especially children from parents to have influence in education.
Stolen generations
(Cultural genocide) children taken from government policy of 50s & 70s, especially mixed heritage, to raise into white culture and abandon tradition.
Three forms of assimilation of aboriginals into white culture
Adopting children into white familys, putting them in govt/church institutions and fostering into white familys.
Statistics on lasting effect of stolen generation
Infant morality 3x higher than national average, 3x life style diesease (alcoholism), 6x unemployment
Link up
1980: help affected by dispossession (especially stolen generation), supports healing, cultural sensitivity, research, reunions, social, emotional and wellbeing services of those over 18.
Kevin Rudd apology
2008: unreserved apology “we apologies for the laws and policies of successive parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians”.
Land rights movement
Religious-political movement, secure rights of aboriginals to land to ensure religious, spiritual and cultural integrity is preserved - dreaming. Recognises for property rights in 1992
Native title Act
1993: can’t prevail over free hold title such as farms, private property etc, only on crown land (owned by state/government).
Mabo
Rejects terra nullius, rules by high court for Meriam people to continue traditional right to possess/live on land of Mer in Torres straits - led by native title act.
Wik
Native title exists if land is leased to government by farmers where aboriginals live, conflict will favour pastoralists though.
Native title amendment act
1998: extinguishes rights of aboriginal tribe negotiation to government owned land that wish to squire, replaced with ability to ‘consult’ - backwards step in land rights movement.
Importance of Dreaming to Land rights movement
LRM uses dreaming to validate proof of entitlement from stories, song, dances and sites as evidence for a successful claim.
Importance of dreaming for land rights movement - problems
Knowledge is dual to ownership: only those who belong to framing know stories, rites etc. sacred sites are secret, tribal members reluctant to sharing location.
Land rights movement with dreaming - problems
Western use written, Aboriginal is oral passing information - unreliable or dismissed as hearsay.
Native title impact of dreaming
Dreaming is constantly evolving/dynamic living tradition. Native title sets things in stone along with influences from Christianity as an example, ossify most dynamic living of religious traditions.
Immigration Restriction Act 1901
Ensured Christianity remained dominant for a long time.
Free movement - Denominational Switching
Mostly seen in Protestant variants, those of active faith are more likely to move. Catholic/orthodox are more loyal, especially elders.
Family breakdown statistics for switching denominations
Children of divorced family’s: Catholics 1.7x likely to switch to Protestant and 2.6x to switch to conservative Protestant. Protestant 2x to move to Catholicism.
Rise of new age religions - what do they believe
MAKAPU
Monism: all that exits sourced from United single spiritual source.
Pantheism: God is everywhere in everything.
Karma & Reincarnation
Aura: energy surrounding the body, manipulated for spiritual, mental, physical health.
Universal Religion: All religions lead to god.
Rise of new age religions - How is it practiced
Meditation: Chanting mantra to release of thoughts.
Astrology: position of planets affect life
Divination: fortune telling
Holistic health: healing techniques - crystals.
Rise of new age religions - Growth in popularity
60’s - 70’s from feminist, civil rights movements, dissatisfaction of ethical guidance from Christian churches.
Islam and Hinduism growth - Census data
Islam: 2011 2.2% - 2016 2.6% - 2021 3.2%
Hinduism: 2011 1.3% - 2016 1.9% - 2021 2.7%
Christianity and Buddhism decline
Buddhism: 2011 2.5% - 2016 2.4% - 2021 2.4%
Christianity: 2011 61.1% - 2016 52% - 2021 43.9%
Denominations in Christianity decline - census data
Catholicism: 2011 25.3% - 2016 22.6% - 2021 19.9%
Anglicanism: 17.1% - 13.3% - 9.8%
Orthodox: 8.4% 2011/16 - 8.2% 2021
No religion census data
22.3% - 30.1% - 38.9%
The national Council of Churches
Ecumenical organisation bringing together many Australian churches for cooperation. 15 churches.
NCCA - Safe Church Program + quote
Workshops and guidelines to make safe churches for children & vulnerable adults - “The protection of the rights of and flourishing of all people is the shared commitment in our promotion of safe church and ministry environments”.
NCCA - Covenanting Together
Ecumenical initiative - all churches agree to pray together, 12 share resources (buildings), 11 recognise others baptisms, 4 recognise each others ordained ministries/holy orders.
NSW Ecumenical Council Background
16 Christian member churches, baptist
Pentecostal refuse, limiting impact. Members seek to live implications of gospel by acting in gods purpose for the world.
NSWEC - Ministry with Refugees Program
Community education about asylum seekers/refugees, visit to detainees in Villawood immigration Detention centre, support House of Welcome funding for immigrants.
NSWEC - Caring for Creation Program
“Seeks to express practically [their] shared Christian commitment to addressing… climate change” - Feb 2010, launch of ‘Meat-Free Day’, to encourage avoid meat one day a week.
Evaluate the importance of interfaith dialogue in multi faith Australia
Interfaith is different religions cooperating.
Multicultural nature of Australia: Dialogue prevents conflict such as mutual understanding and service to community.
Evaluate the importance of interfaith dialogue in multi faith Australia - Examples
Columbian avenger for Christian-Muslim Relations: foster relationships with Muslim’s, address misconceptions, lack understanding, stereotypes existing in Christian community.
The Affinity Intercultural Foundation: Extend interaction of Muslims and australians.
Abraham Conference: Promotes interfaith between Jews, Christians and Muslim’s for good.
Examine the relationship between Aboriginal spiritualities and religious traditions in the process of Reconciliation.
Reconciliation is process of moving to future with new relationship, mutual recognition, respect. mistakes, injustice are perpetrated, past fully acknowledged and delt to move to harmony.
Examine the relationship between Aboriginal spiritualites and religious traditions in the process of Reconciliation.
Catholic Church: strides after John Paul II visited Alice springs 1986.
Caritas Red Dust Healing Program: written indigenous perspective to engage aboriginals to confront problems stemming from rejection and grief.
shalom means peace, gamarada means friend.
Shalom Gamarada: indigenous Scholarship Program, Jewish initiative to close gap between aboriginals and Australians by higher education to increase indigenous professionals. Scholarship to First Nations for UNSW reside at Shalom College (on campus Jewish residential facility), gives them room, 3 meals, academic support, pastoral care and UNSW sport.
