Topic > Indigenous Australians - 1582

Aboriginal spiritualityAboriginal spirituality originally derives from dream stories. Dreaming is the knowledge and sense of belonging that Aboriginal people had about the beginning of life and their relationship with the land and sea (Australian Museum, 2011). Dream stories are passed down orally from generation to generation. These stories teach subsequent generations how to behave towards the land and other people. The dream stories give them the sense of duty to protect the earth and appreciate it because the dream stories indicate that the spirits are not dead but are still alive in different forms like animals or humans, so the power of the ancestors is still felt through the landforms (Clark, 1963), (Australian Government, 2008) An example of a dream story is the story of Tidlick, the frog that symbolizes the end of a drought. This dream story, when passed on to the next generation, helps them understand why the land should be valued and cared for and the secrets and culture of the past are preserved (Gard, 2000). Cultural heritage Australia's indigenous culture is one of the oldest living cultures in the world. Despite the negligence and misunderstanding of Europeans, Aboriginal people managed to keep their culture alive by passing on their knowledge through arts, rituals, performances and stories from one generation to the next. Each tribe has its own language and its own way of using certain tools; however, sharing knowledge with other tribes helps them survive a little easier with the use of efficient yet primitive tools that help a culture stay alive. Speaking and teaching the language as well as protecting sacred places and objects helps the culture remain... at the heart of the paper... Aboriginal fight for justice and land rights. [Online]. Available: http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/23550- Dunn.C and McCreadie. M. (2010). The First Fleet. [Online]. Available: http://www.australianhistoryresearch.info/the-first-fleet/- Clark, M. (1963). A brief history of Australia. Victoria: Penguin Books Australia Ltd.- Gard, S. (2000). A history of Australia. The Colony of New South Wales. South Yarra: MacMillan Education Australia Pty Ltd.- Keith. V. (2001). Bennelong. [Online]. Available: http://www.bennelong.com.au/articles/bennelongbio.php- Reconciliation. (2007). Fact Sheet on the Stolen Generations. [Online]. Available: http://reconciliaction.org.au/nsw/education-kit/stolen-generations/- Screen Australia Digital Learning. Australian Neville Bonner Biography. [Online]. Available: http://www.australianbiography.gov.au/subjects/bonner/