Aboriginal Australia

AustralianAborigines or Indigenous Australians are natives of the Australian continent. They migrated to this region from South Asia about 40, 000 years ago. Though they comprise 500–600 distinct groups, aboriginal people possess some unifying links. Among these are strong spiritual beliefs; a tribal culture of storytelling and art; and, like other indigenous populations, a difficult colonial history. Aboriginal spirituality entails a close relationship between humans and the land. Aborigines call the beginning of the world the " Dreaming, " or " Dreamtime." In the " Dreamtime, " aboriginal " Ancestors" rose from below the earth to form various parts of nature including animal species, bodies of water, and the sky. Unlike other religions, however, aboriginal belief does not place the human species apart from or on a higher level than nature. 'Ancestor Spirits' came to Earth in human and other forms and the land, the plants and animals were given their form as we know them today.

All of Australia's Aborigines were hunters and gatherers, with each clan having its own territory. Those communities living along the coast or rivers were expert fishermen. The territories or 'traditional lands' were defined by geographic boundaries such as rivers, lakes and mountains.

Aborigine men usually went to hunt in group. The Australian fauna is original, but poor, and Aborigines had to content from possums to kangaroos and emus. Usually, they did not hunt dangerous animals, except the crocodile. The hunter knew by the traces the species and the age of the trace. Aborigines looked for filtering how much they could close to the large prey (like kangaroos) to a distance that allowed them to kill with the spear. Sometimes the hunters smeared their body with clay for camouflaging during the hunt. The most curious weapon was the boomerang, used for hunting rapid animals and birds, while for hunting emu or bush turkeys was employed the spear. The boomerang has the property to return to its launcher if missing the target. In the Aborigine group, children received special care, receiving the best food, a lot of affection and not being punished for their pranks. Children stayed with the women, helping them in gathering berries, seeds and small animals (insects included).
When the boy reached 10-12 years of age, he would pass through a series of ceremonies: his body was tattooed and painted and he was taught legends and customs of the tribe, he learnt to hunt, and he was submitted to a series of physical probes meant to fortify him. This learning period could last years, and when considered adult, he could marry.
The Australian Aborigines possess culture and heritage and a history distinct from other groups around the world. The native language of the Australian Aborigines is not known to be related to any of the languages in other parts of the world. Today, there are fewer than 200 indigenous Australian languages that are in use.

Australia’s culture is rich with the tradition of Aboriginal art. The art forms date back to more than thousands of years. The rock art and bark painting display the Australian Aborigines in harmony with nature. This relationship between the people and their environment is most visible in the use of earthly colors in the paintings, most of which are made from ochre. Things have changed and today the modern Aboriginal artists continue the tradition, but with the use of the versatile modern materials.
The most important festivity of the Aborigines is the corroborri. The men adorn themselves with feather headdresses, imitating the look of the totem animal of the tribe. The magic ceremony has as a final purpose the achievement of the favor of the spirits of the animals which the Aborigines wanted to hunt so that they came in the reach of their weapons. By mimicking animals' movements, Aborigines took over the spirits of the animals forcing them to accomplish their will.
The corroborri dance is accompanied by the singing and the rhythmic beating of wood pieces: the rhythm and velocity grew gradually till the dancers fell exhausted to the ground.

Aboriginal music is often recognizable for its most famous instrument, the didgeridoo. A wind instrument typically made from bamboo, it extends about five feet and produces a low, vibrating hum. Aborigines use didgeridoos in formal ceremonies at such events as sunsets, circumcisions, and funerals.

Today, most Aborigines have adapted to the western lifestyle, working mostly as herders in the inner grassland areas of Australia. The health and economic difficulties are substantial, with adverse ratings on the social indicators like education, unemployment and poverty.

1. When did the aboriginals settle the Australian continent?
2. What is “Dreamtime”?
3. How did the aboriginals get food?
4. What did the aboriginals use to kill animals?
5. How were the aboriginal boys brought up?
6. What can you say about the aboriginal culture?
7. What is the most important festivity of the aborigines? How is it celebrated?
8. What is aboriginal music recognizable for?
9. How do the most aborigines live today?