Discuss the diversity of the Dreaming for Aboriginal people.
The Dreaming for Australian Indigenous people (sometimes referred to as the Dreamtime or Dreamtimes) is when the Ancestral Beings moved across the land and created life and significant geographic features.
The Dreaming, or 'Tjukurrpa', also means to 'see and understand the law' as it is translated from the Arrernte language (Frank Gillen with Baldwin Spencer, translating an Arrernte word Altyerrenge).
Dreaming stories pass on important knowledge, cultural values and belief systems to later generations. Through song, dance, painting and storytelling which express the dreaming stories, Aborigines have maintained a link with the Dreaming from ancient times to today, creating a rich cultural heritage.
Aborigines have the longest continuous cultural history of any group of people on Earth. Estimates date this history between 50,000 and 65,000 years. Before European settlement of Australia, there were around 600 different Aboriginal nations, based on language groups.
The Dreaming represents all that is known and understood by Aboriginal societies it determines all relationships and responsibilities between Aboriginal people. The multifaceted nature of Aboriginal art explains how the Dreaming describes the origins and the beginnings of the universe. Story telling is another way the Dreaming is lived out particularly as a way of explaining right and wrongful actions to children
The Dreaming, or 'Tjukurrpa', also means to 'see and understand the law' as it is translated from the Arrernte language (Frank Gillen with Baldwin Spencer, translating an Arrernte word Altyerrenge).
Dreaming stories pass on important knowledge, cultural values and belief systems to later generations. Through song, dance, painting and storytelling which express the dreaming stories, Aborigines have maintained a link with the Dreaming from ancient times to today, creating a rich cultural heritage.
Aborigines have the longest continuous cultural history of any group of people on Earth. Estimates date this history between 50,000 and 65,000 years. Before European settlement of Australia, there were around 600 different Aboriginal nations, based on language groups.
The Dreaming represents all that is known and understood by Aboriginal societies it determines all relationships and responsibilities between Aboriginal people. The multifaceted nature of Aboriginal art explains how the Dreaming describes the origins and the beginnings of the universe. Story telling is another way the Dreaming is lived out particularly as a way of explaining right and wrongful actions to children
Recognise the importance of the Dreaming for the life of Aboriginal People.
The dreaming is the concept which underpins all beliefs and practices in Aboriginal communities, and thus is important because it defines all relationships and responsibilities for all Aboriginal people. The Dreaming explains why land is critical to the expression of Aboriginal spirituality, as it is through the land that the Dreaming is activated. In other words, the land is where the dreaming and its stories take place, and is the resting place for the ancestral spirit beings, and hence is like a mother for the people. A person's identity is inextricably linked to the land, because an understanding of the land enables them to understand their totemic responsibilities. The Dreaming is also important because it explains the Aboriginal notion of time which is metatemporal, a concept which presents the past, present and future as a complete and present reality. The fact that for Aboriginal communities the telling and learning of the Dreaming stories is a life long process is a reflection of its centrality to Aboriginal spirituality. Similarly, the fact that the Dreaming is frequently communicated through art, song, dance, story and ritual shows that despite the enormously diverse nature of Aboriginal spirituality the Dreaming is the concept that underpins them all
The importance of the Land for Aboriginal spirituality-The Dreaming is inextricably linked to the land because the land contains the Dreaming and is the medium through which the Dreaming is lived and communicated. That is, the land is where the Dreaming and its stories take place, and subsequently forms the resting place for their ancestral spirit beings. These sites are regarded as being of sacred significance and carry with themritual responsibilities for the Aboriginal community. Thus, the identity of an Aboriginal person can be said to be inextricably linked with the land. Hence, a critical part of learning about the Dreaming includes knowing the features of the land, which they regard as a mother, in intricate detail.
The importance of the Land for Aboriginal spirituality-The Dreaming is inextricably linked to the land because the land contains the Dreaming and is the medium through which the Dreaming is lived and communicated. That is, the land is where the Dreaming and its stories take place, and subsequently forms the resting place for their ancestral spirit beings. These sites are regarded as being of sacred significance and carry with themritual responsibilities for the Aboriginal community. Thus, the identity of an Aboriginal person can be said to be inextricably linked with the land. Hence, a critical part of learning about the Dreaming includes knowing the features of the land, which they regard as a mother, in intricate detail.