SOR Flashcards
Discuss how Aboriginal spirituality is determined by the Dreaming
Kinship:
- Integral to spirituality; refers to network of relationships holding clan together
- Relationships establish/reinforce rules of community behaviour
- Land important aspect of kinship; referred to as ‘my mother’
- Kinship ties identify system of belonging and responsibility in a clan
Ceremonial life:
- Ancestors taught human descendants to live and how to keep life going through secret ceremonies
- Dreaming and life giving powers live through humans/ animals after performing ceremonies
- Rituals renew/conserve life→ everyone expected to understand sacred traditions
- Art→ way of communicating the Dreaming through symbols, paintings, representations
- Stories→ Describe law, lifestyle, customs/culture→ always messages of ethics
- Totems→ Represent individuals as they existed in Dreaming, carry ceremonial responsibilities
Obligations to land and people
- Connection to land; responsibility to care and nurture land
- Dreaming links person to land and objects within land
- People share same spiritual essence as land
- Land is physical medium through which the Dreaming is lived and communicated
Discuss the continuing effect of dispossession on Aboriginal spiritualities in relation to:
- Separation from the Land
- Separation from Kinship Groups
- The Stolen Generation
Separation from the Land:
- 1770 Captain Cook declared Terra Nullius→ Aus belonged to no one; claimed Aboriginal laws had no legal status and entitlement to land denied
- Aboriginal people removed from land (source of spirituality) → suffered malnutrition, disease, unable to find work, relied on govt
- 1830’s Protectorates established; reserved operated under white manager→ had power to expel people, hand out food, treat people as children
- No hunting/gathering→ traditional way of life destroyed
- Loss of land→ lives no meaning (dignity taken away)
- Water/food sources lost→ had to trespass, hunt settlers stock→ led to violent confrontations
- Displacement meant loss of cultural knowledge
- Removal from land withdrew a person’s place in the Dreaming and place of sport after death (Dreaming concept→ belief in return to spirit world after death)
Separation from Kinship Groups:
- British view→ civilisation was superior→ would teach Aboriginals
- Children lived in missions isolated from families→ carers tried to undermine culture by branding traditional beliefs as evil (stamping out ceremonies, rituals, languages)
- Different language groups grouped together and sent away→ impacted on spirituality
- Scale of separation; consequences for whole community→ distrust of govt, police and officials
The Stolen Generation:
- 1915-1970 → Children removed from families by enforcement of govt policies
- Chief protector; legal guardian of Aboriginal children; sent them to missions, schools etc
- Boys exploited as cheap labour on reserves. Girls fell pregnant. ⅕ physically abused
- 1950-1960→ taken without parent’s knowledge or consent
- Children told parents died or didn’t want them→ moved from place to place, discriminated and bullied
- Lost connection to dreaming, didn’t feel as if belonged
- Official policy until 1969→ impossible to know how many were taken (poor record keeping)
- Effects today→ removed families likely to come to police attention, low self esteem,vulnerable to sexual/physical abuse, unable to retain links to land
- Some fostered or adopted by white parents→ in new homes suffered abuse, poor food/living conditions, little education, banned from speaking native language
- Main reason for policy→ assimilate children into “White Australia”
- Lack of parental model→ many had difficulty bringing up own children
Outline the importance of the following for the Land Rights movement:
- Native Title
- Mabo
- Wik
Native Title:
- NT: Recognition in Aus law; some Indigenous people continue to hold rights to lands/waters→ comes from traditional laws and customs
Exists when;
- Rights and interests under traditional laws currently observed and acknowledged
- Indigenous people have a connection with the area
- Rights and interests are recognised by common law of Aus
- Laws and customs acknowledged in mostly uninterrupted way from settlement to now
- NT recognises validity of Aboriginal territorial laws existing prior to settlement
- Native Title Act (1993) → Overturned terra nullius, gave official recognition to Indigenous way of life
Mabo:
- Eddie Mabo (Mer Islander) believed Aus laws on land ownership were wrong; fought to change them
- Challenged Aus legal system for rights of Indigenous as traditional owners of their land
- Mer Islanders decided they would challenge concept of Terra Nullius in High court (case ran for 10 years)
- 3 June 1992→ High Court decided terra nullius shouldn’t have been applied
- High Court didn’t decide if NT could exist in land leased to pastoralists on long term (but didn’t own)
- Provided limited opportunities for small number of Indigenous people to claim ongoing existence of NT
- Important→ land given back to Mabo’s people, land able to be claimed more easily, Terra Nullius overthrown
- Recognises rights of Aboriginals to compensation, self determination,practice of their religion and protection of cultural identity
Wik:
- 1996 Wik people of Cape York (QLD) → brought case to High Court arguing their right of NT on pastoral land
- Ruled in their favour; decided NT rights and pastoralist rights could exist simultaneously
- Great victory; even though pastoralists tights would generally prevail over Indigenous rights
- Decision met with outcry so John Howard compromised and dramatically favoured rights of pastoralists (seen as act of racism)
- Nonetheless it was incorporated into Native Title Amendment Act (1998) → bill increased state, territory govt powers over NT claims, while reducing rights of Aborigines to negotiate directly with pastoral leaseholders
Analyse the importance of the Dreaming for the Land Rights movement.
Movement in Aus; seeking to challenge Terra Nullius, identify Aboriginal connection/ ownership of land
1981→ Mabo fought to change Terra Nullius laws
1992→ High Court recognised Aboriginals hold to NT; provided limited opportunities to claim NT
1993→ Native Title Act; Overturned Terra Nullius; gave recognition to Indigenous way of life
1996→ Wik people argued right to NT on pastoral land→ decided NT rights could exist simultaneously
Reconises Aboriginal people are traditional custodians of land
Aboriginal people able to claim land more easily
Terra Nullius concept overthrown
Recognises right to compensation
Allowed to practice cultural identity and religion
Outline changing patterns of religious adherence from 1945 to the present using census data
1901; 96% of pop were Christian. → 2011; 61% of pop were Christian
1901; 0.4% of pop were no religion. → 2011; 37% of pop were no religion
1996; 1.1% of pop were Islamic. → 2011; 2.2% of pop were Islamic (growth rate of 70%)
1996-2006→
Buddhism growth rate was 109%
Hinduism growth rate was 120%
Account for the present religious landscape in Australia in relation to:
- Christianity as the major religious tradition
Though Aus is multi-faith society; main religious affiliation still strongly Christian
Roman Catholic and Anglican Church still hold dominant roles (Anglican ties to Britain weakened significantly)
After WW2→ Europe contributed many nationalities under Catholic banner
1975-1984→ Migration of Indo-Chinese refugees brought large Asian contingent to Catholic Church
Over 30 ethnic groups constitute the Catholic Church today in Aus
Pentecostal Churches shown significant growth→ popular with youth (use contemporary music, large stadium events, avoidance of formalised liturgy
Account for the present religious landscape in Australia in relation to:
- Immigration
Arrival of other religious traditions added to main religion; Christianity. But numbers were small and had little impact on overall religious landscape
Aus Muslim population is migrants from 35 countries; flee war etc
BUDDHISM
Increase in Buddhists immigrating since suspension of “White Australia”policy (1960’s)
1973→ All barriers to non-Europeans were removed and Aus became attractive to Asian migrants
1981-1991→ Buddhism fastest growing religion in Aus
JUDAISM
After WW2→ Jewish survivors moved to Israel or Aus
1945-1960→ Approx 30,000 Jews arrived from Europe,joining already established Jewish communities in Melbourne/ Sydney
Contemporary Aus becoming diverse in religious composition
Presence of synagogues, Buddhist and Hindu temples, mosques→ all changed Aus religious landscape (diminishing predominance of Christianity)
Account for the present religious landscape in Australia in relation to:
- Denomination Switching
Transfer of followers from one variant or denomination to another (usually in Protestantism)
Revolving door syndrome; moving from one to another
Feature of Christianity, but can occur across boundaries of any religious tradition
Enables person to find spiritual ‘home’ where they feel more at ease with style of worship and views put forwards by ministers in parish
Account for the present religious landscape in Australia in relation to:
- Rise of New Age Religons
Rise of individualism; general trend of moving from traditional religions and their rigidity to seek spiritual fulfilment elsewhere
NAR→ “Loosely structured network of individuals holding new visions of enlightenment and harmony while subscribing to a common worldview.” RON RHODES
Tend to see reality as interrelated and interdependent; spirituality is multifaceted→ altered states of consciousness, reincarnation, spiritualism etc
E.g. Tarot cards, yoga, tai chi, Wicca, paganism
Creation centred; seeking guidance and answers
Account for the present religious landscape in Australia in relation to:
- Secularism
General trend in modern society to replace religious belief with other kinds of activity drawn from secular disciplines of sociology, psychology, science
When religious perspectives abandoned in favour of non-religious response to life’s questions
Some see it as an attempt to abandon attitudes that instil guilt in individual, or as an option that excludes any form of religious adherence
Religious values are declining; replaced by materialism, individualism
Increase in ‘no religion” in census figures
Describe the impact of Christian ecumencil movements in Australia
Ecumenism→ Christian unity among differing branches of religious community; movement towards unity amongst Christian churches
Positive call to unity and peace; successful in aiding social justice matters (e.g. refugee works)
Brings churches together; provides more opportunities help others; more work can be done
Larger number of provisions and resources utilised to help marginalised
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
Formed 1994, has 17 member churches (E.g. Salvation Army, Greek Orthodox Church)
Social justice programs: Act for Peace→ Brings refugees into society, provides aid
Calls churches together to help people in need, provides opportunity for unity in faith
NSW ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
Formed 1982, has 15 member churches (E.g. Salvation Army, Greek Orthodox Church)
Involved in helping with homelessness, educating asylum seekers
Identify need for peace and for everyone to give to community
Evaluate the importance of interfaith dialogue in multifaith Australia
Interfaith dialogue: Cooperation between people of different faiths; create respect and appreciation for religious diversity
Promote mutual understanding, harmony, cooperation, interfaith prayer services
Promotes peace,unity between all people and strengthens relations
Important during times of crisis; helps maintain peace and stops disharmony
E.g. Parramatta shooting of police officer; interfaith communications between mosque and Church to stop people protesting and vandalising mosque, and to establish cooperation with police
Examine the relationship between Aboriginal spiritualities and religious traditions in the process of Reconciliation
Reconciliation: Process where Aboriginal and non indigenous citizens to move into future with new relationship based on mutual recognition, understanding and respect
Mistakes and injustices in past must be fully acknowledged and dealt with so everyone lives in harmony (e.g. dispossession of land, stolen generations)
To facilitate healing of spirituality and of Aboriginal condition→ many religious groups support reconciliation and need for formal apology
Church historically helped with destructive govt policies; now advocate for interfaith support in reconciliation
CHRISTIANITY:
Caritas→ calls for more assistance to Indigenous people due to ongoing traumatic effects of Assimilation
Roman Catholic Church involved National Reconciliation Week→ week of initiatives promoting reconciliation, focuses largely on Aboriginal health
ISLAM:
Islamic groups make public statements supporting reconciliation and formal apology for stolen generations
BUDDHISM:
Peace fellowship runs programs for social welfare and education
Run a program for alcoholic Aboriginals; combines alcoholic anonymous process with Buddhist beliefs
The contribution to Christianity of ONE significant person OR school of thought, other than Jesus, drawn from : (Pope John XXIII)
Significant legacy; Vatican II (1962-65) revolutionised view of modern world. Pope said “Open the windows”
New openness to ecumenism;work with other religions and other Christians
“Let us place values on those things that unite us and lay aside that which separates us.”
Previously; “one true church” but now encouraged to share prayer, social actions with other Christians
Called protestants ‘separated brethren’ instead of heretics; “Unity among Christians.”
Vatican II aim for renewal of Church. “Unity in the Church, unity with Christians separated from the Church, and unity with all of humankind.”
If council wasn’t called;church would be cut off from modern world, outdated and irrelevant
Modernised role of priests, nuns etc→ more focused on working for social justice
Renewal of liturgy; now study bible, mass translated to local languages, not said with back to people
The contribution to Christianity of ONE significant person OR school of thought, other than Jesus, drawn from : (Pope John XXIII)
- ENCYCLICALS
Encyclical: Mater et Magistra (Mother and Teacher
- Social justice
- Need for wealthy nations to support developing one
- “Man’s aim must be to achieve in social justice a national and international judicial order.”
- “It will not be possible to preserve a lasting peace so long as glaring economic and social imbalances persist.”
Encyclical: Pacem en Terris (Peace on Earth
- Prophetic call to peace, in world on the brink of nuclear war
- Addressed not just to Catholics, but to whole world
- The stockpiles of armaments which have been built up in various countries must be reduced all round and simultaneously by the parties concerned. Nuclear weapons must be banned.”
