Aboriginal Reltion to Country
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“No English words are good enough to give a sense of the links between an Aboriginal group and its homeland” (Frog and Toads Indigenous Australia) Country is an English word used to describe the values, places, resources, stories and cultural obligations associated with a certain geographical area and its components. In aboriginal cultural, all of country is important, there is no wilderness. Due to the importance of country, it is not surprising that aboriginal people are strongly connected to the land. Aboriginal Australians are spiritually connected to the land through the Dreaming stories which define sacred sites, totems, ceremonies, and the importance of life. It is these significant spiritual connections created during the Dreamings that encouraged Aboriginal people to form physical connections to the land through specific types of ownership, interconnected lands and wildlife, and management that strives to maintain biodiversity.
Aboriginal people have an extremely strong spiritual connection to the land. These connections originated thousands of years ago with the stories of the dreamings. In fact, Silas Roberts, the first Chairman of the Northern Land Council stated, “Our connection to all things natural is spiritual.” (Rose 26) The Dreamings are a spiritual concept held by aboriginal people that goes far beyond the comprehension of the English language. The story explains the origins of the natural world, as well as all beings that are present in the world. More specifically, the dreamtime talks about how ancestors moved across a desolate Australian terrain. In their travels, the ancestors established cultural sacred sites as well as different languages for each region and clan. (Aboriginal Dreaming)
Each aspect of the world today can be traced back to the dream times. Therefore, aboriginal people live in a modern world that is surrounded by reminders of spiritual association with country. It is these spiritual connections which make geographical areas of Australia so important. In fact, there are sacred sites scattered generously across the continent. Depending on the stigma of the sacred sight, there are certain rules and regulations that apply. For example, killing a certain animal species may be tragic in one place while certain people may not be allowed in another. If the laws are not followed as they should be then aboriginal people fear severe storms, illness and even death that they have been warned about. These spiritual beliefs were established in the dreamtimes, and strongly influence the actions of aboriginal people today. (Smyth)
Not only are the existence of these beings explained in the stories, but more importantly, so are their relationships with each other. It was during the dreamtime that all laws were created, and they have not changed since that time. The law defines how people hold ceremonies, sing songs and tell stories. Each person is given a specific responsibility to their tribe, and they must utilize their resources to ensure that they fulfill this responsibility. Australia is a promise land that is made up of chosen people, all of whom must contribute their own skills to the land. (Rose 9)
The connection between people, land, and animals in aboriginal Australia is described by the use of totems. Totems describe the spiritual and numinous connection between the beings on earth. These devices stress the importance of different groups to one another, and ways in which these groups were intended to interact. Aboriginal people strive to uphold the connections that were originally established by the ancestors many years ago. It is not at all unusual for country to be considered a major aspect of the totem. People are forced to recognize their spiritual connection to country and the impact of their actions. Totems help aboriginal people to understand, that all aspects of earth are connected as one, and the neglect of one aspect will undoubtedly lead to the downfall of another. Spiritually, totems connect the aboriginal people to taking responsibility of maintaining the land.
Along with caring for the land, aboriginal people also hold responsibility for maintaining the land during different ceremonies. It is particularly important for the land to be guarded during the time of ceremonies when it is considered to be the most vulnerable. Furthermore, country is a major aspect of the ceremonies, as marks are painted on the body to represent the country. For instance, John Bradley is quoted explaining, “In our ceremonies we wear marks on our bodies, they come from the Dreaming too, we carry the design that the Dreamings gave to us. When we wear that Dreaming mark we are carrying the country, we are keeping the Dreaming held up, we are keeping the country and the Dreaming alive” (Rose 27). Spiritual taboos involving country are observed as well. For instance, there are strict restrictions on which members of the clan may prepare and eat certain foods. (Frog and Toads Indigenous Australia)
There is no question that country is a major aspect of life to the aboriginal people in Australia. Unfortunately, there is no way to stress how much the land truly signifies who they are as people. In the aboriginal culture, country is synonymous with life. Life does not only refer to the survival of human beings, but to the overall success of the land, people, and every other living entity present in Australia. With the extinction of a species, of course there is a physical loss to the world, but to indigenous Australians the loss is spiritual as well. Therefore, ensuring the well being of all aspects of life is the only way to ensure that country is being maintained in the best way possible. All elements have a purpose in contributing to the land, as well as a way in which they provide to others. It is utterly impossible for any one aspect to reach its full potential in the long run, without the presence of all other aspects of nature.
The indigenous people of Australia hold a love a respect for country that parallels their love for all life. The world cannot be spiritually complete without a contribution made by each geographical feature, plant, person and animal species. The indigenous Australians do not see themselves as in charge of the land, but humbled by the power of country. They are simply here to do their job in making the country a better place, recognizing that as humans they are only one small aspect of life.
In order to fulfill their duties in the most efficient way possibly, aboriginal people utilize the land in a practical way to enforce their spiritual connections. Land management is a top priority to the indigenous Australians, as they work hard to preserve all kinds of life.
Aboriginal people also have a distinct system of ownership of the land and country. Membership