Religion and Belief Systems in Australia Post-1945 Flashcards
Syllabus: How the Dreaming is determined by: - - -
- Kinship
- Ceremonial Life
- Obligations to the Land and People
Content:
Define the Dreaming
Dreaming: The spiritual aspect of Aboriginal religion that encapsulates both the spiritual and physical dimensions, giving meaning to all aspects of life.
Content:
How is the Dreaming determined by kinship?
Kinship - a highly sophisticated network of relationships in which govern interactions between clans - thus is highly important for creating belonging and responsibilities within the tribe.
- it derives from both family relations and totems (usually a plant or animal) that represent a groups collective, uniting connection to the ancestor beings within the land - fostering a sense of metaphysical connection of Dreaming kinship.
- Kinship = “The completeness of the oneness” (Bob Randall Kanyini concept)
- Strict rules and obligations exist for each relationship, which form part of Aboriginal law
- Kinship extends to land and governs dancing, ceremonies, hunting parties and the raising of children. (crucial aspects of the Dreaming)
- Kinship ties also assign the responsibility to transmit the knowledge of the Dreaming from elders to the younger generation
- Kinship is determined by tribe and family relationships which create a connection with ancestor spirits, land and ultimately the Dreaming.
Content:
How the dreaming is determined by ceremonial life?
CL - Refers to practices in which link Aboriginal People to the Land and their identity through ritual and artistic expression of the Dreaming.
Its purpose is to acknowledge the rites of passage e.g. birth, male initiation of circumcision , to pass on social information, and to facilitate personal and spiritual connections.
- ciritical to ATSI, land + identity as it represents the metatemporal existence of the Dreaming, especially its presence in present, real world
- e.g. rituals relive stories in a powerfully sacred way (menstruation rituals represent the rainbow serpent)
Content:
How the dreaming is determined by Obigations to the Land and People?
- Aboriginal Spirituality cannot be separated from the Land, therefore is inextricably connected due to its function as the physical medium through which the Dreaming is lived.
- The land provides the foundation for Aboriginal beliefs, traditions, rituals and laws because the stories of the Dreaming are embedded in the land. Furthermore, the land acts as a resting place for ancestral spirit beings
- Rituals on the land are connected to sacred sites where Dreaming events occur, these are called Balance rites and are paramount in fostering interconnectedness.
- The land is the meeting point, meaning this is where tribes derive their identity, totems and relationship statuses from.
Syllabus: Discuss the continuing effect of dispossession on Aboriginal spiritualities in relation to: - - -
- Separation from the land
- Separation from kinship groups
- the Stolen Generations
Content:
What was the continued effect of dispossession on Aboriginal spiritualities in relation to separation from the land?
Separation from the land meant that cultural practices and ceremonies associated with the land could not be carried out.
- For the Aboriginal people, loss of land is the same as the loss of spiritual identity. This leads to the burden of not being able to fulfil ritual responsibilities. As a result, many Aboriginal people feel a complete lack of purpose in life and other issues.
Loss of land destroyed the system of Totemic Responsibilities, and was detrimental to all aspects of Aboriginal society.
Assimilation was forcibly adopted through implementation of the following laws, and caused an intense, detrimental deflation of spirituality.
This systematic dispossession was instigated in 1788 when the notion of Terra Nullius was established (no recognition - started removing dreaming stories/toems found in the land).
Further highlighten in 1820s-1850s when gverments/churches established missions/reserves that imposed Christianity, European culture –> causing rapid loss.
Content:
Discuss the continuing effect of dispossession on Aboriginal Spiritualities in relation to separation from kinship groups.
Similar to loss of land, separation of kinship groups destroyed kinship and the identity of Aboriginal people. It annihilated thousands of years of traditional custom and culture, irretrievable without those kinship ties.
1838: Policy of Protection placed Aboriginal people on missions and reserves. This was a deliberate attempt to destroy their spirituality, and resulted in the destruction of kinship, traditional gender roles, culture and language.
1901: Policy of Assimilation saw further pressure to remove mixed Aboriginal people from those of full blood, further destroying kinship ties. Families were encouraged to assimilate, and were then not permitted to visit other families. This was detrimental to the all-encompassing nature of Aboriginal spirituality.
Content:
Discuss the continuing effect of dispossession on Aboriginal Spiritualities in relation to the Stolen Generations
From the late 1800s to the 1970s, forced separation of Aboriginal children from their families was Government Policy. It is estimated that as many as 100,000 children were removed. This was a deliberate attempt to remove their Aboriginal identity and deteriorate the culture.
The ‘Bring Them Home Report’ revealed the shattering effects of these policies. This included loss of heritage, culture, language, land and community. This report made 54 Recommendations to the Government, Churches and other community groups. Example – Recommendation 7.A: calling for annual national Sorry Day to be held.
Life Expectancy: - Source: The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This reveals the Aboriginal life expectancy is 20 years below Australian average. These are indicators of a poor, underclass society – caused by separation from land, kinship groups and family.
Syllabus: Outline the importance of the following for the Land Rights movement: - - -
- Native Title
- Mabo
- Wik
Content:
Outline the importance of the LRM
The Aboriginal Land Rights movement refers to a religious-political movement that seeks to secure the rights of Aboriginal people to their land and to ensure their religious, spiritual and cultural integrity is preserved.
Land rights is what provides their connection to the Dreaming, thus claims are made by ATSI people to gain repossession and compensation for white use of their land and sacred sites (inextricably connected with the land. Control of the land means regaining control over their lives
🡪 e.g. allows economic and spiritual dimension of their lives
E.G. The Aboriginal Tent Embassy outside Parliament House 1972 protested
Content:
Explain Native Title
The term given by the High Court under the Indigenous Property Rights, handed down from the Mabo decision of 1992.
•1991: High Court – Merian people continued to have 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 an overturning of the legal fiction of Terra Nullius (‘no man’s land’), established at the time of European settlement.
•Instead, the court ruled that Native Title exists where Indigenous people have maintained continuous traditional connection to the land, and if government acts haven’t extinguished that title.
Explain the Mabo Decision
1993: Parliament passed the Native Title Act of 1993 (landmark court case)
•This piece of legislation said that Native Title is the traditional rights and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and cant prevail over freehold title (properties still remained priority).
•This meant that most homes, farms and commercial properties all still maintained priority over the Aboriginal people.
•Mabo campaigned Indigenous rights, landmark decisions and Native Title did exist in AUs
•Mabo case overturned the notion of ‘Terra Nullius’ deeming it legally invalid successfully proved that his people had a system of ownership and management of land.
Explain the Wik Case
This is a continuation of the fight for Native Title that Mabo began.
The Wik People are from Western Cape-York, Queensland argued that “Pastoral Leases granted over their area of claim didn’t extinguish their Native Title Rights.”
Aboriginal people could own their land and negotiate to use the land with commercial companies
1996: In December, the High Court handed down their judgement holding that Native Title Rights could co-exist in the land under claim by the Wik people. However, in any conflicts, the Pastoral rights would prevail.
1998: This led to the passing of the Native Title Amendment Act.
This abolished the right of Native Title claimants to negotiate with the government for land owned by the government.
This was then replaced with the right merely to be consulted, which is considered a step backwards for the Land Rights movement.
Wik case led to the Native Title Amendment Act which is the 10 point plan
Content:
Analyse the importance of the Dreaming for the Land Rights movement
The Dreaming defines the connection between the Aboriginal People and the land. All aspects of Aboriginal life are rooted in the Dreaming stories i.e. the Ancestor Beings. Without the land, the Dreaming could not be communicated because the stories of the ancestor spirits spring from the land.The identity of every Aboriginal person is inextricably linked to the land, it follows their belief system, rituals, traditions and laws to be connected to the land. Dreaming provided the motivation behind the Land Rights Movement due to the sacred natured of the land that underpins all aspects of the LRM. The land is home to the totems and existence of Sacred Sites
