Transcript The Aborigines

The Aborigines
of Australia
A presentation by Sandra and Luisa
Overview
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The relationship between Euopeans and Aboriginals
„Terra Nullius“ – a land belonging to nobody
The Myall-Creek Massacre
Culture and Society
Language
Bush Medicine
The Dreamtime
Art
Aborigines today
The Fault of the White Settlers?
• The term Aboriginal refers to the
indigenous, traditional religions
worldwide
• These peoples often have in common an
animistic belief in spirits in all nature,
creation myths, shamans, rituals and a
religious system that permeates all of
their life
• The Aborigines of Australia, Tasmania and
the Torres Strait Islands have claimed that
land for more than 50,000 years
• They are the oldest continuing culture in
the world
• Like the Native Americans, they compose
over 500 cultural groups speaking various
dialects and languages.
English settlers surrounded by a group of Aborigines. This is
believed to be the earliest photograph taken in Australia.
Aboriginal people and
European settlers
• European point of view: the
establishment of a settlement
in Australia is the story of an
adventurous voyage,
Aborigines do not really
“own” the land
• Aboriginal point of view:
European settlement =
invasion and destruction of
Aboriginal civilisation.
Although British authorities had good intentions towards Aboriginal
people, they nevertheless intended to take their land.
Just as the Europeans had no respect for Aboriginal land ownership, they
also had little understanding or respect for Aboriginal culture.
Terra nullius
A land belonging to nobody!
• How could Captain Cook say
that all this new found
territory belonged to Britain?
• How could the British
government act as if this land
belonged to them?
The simple answer to these
questions is that the British
did not consider Aboriginal
people as the rightful owners
of this land.
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Myall Creek: a massacre that
made the news
June 1838
It was the first time
Europeans were hanged for
murdering Aborigines
It took place at a time of
conflict between Aborigines
and European settlers
The conviction of the Myall
Creek murderers was one
triumph for those whites
who were determined to see
Aborigines treated as equals
before the law.
Culture and Society
Language
• In 1788, there were about 250 separate Aboriginal languages
• Main language groups: Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri and Arrernte
• Pitjantjatjara is still spoken today in many parts of the Central,
while Arrernte, the language of the Alice Springs area, is still
heard every day around the town.
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Healing Secrets of Aboriginal Bush Medicine
Aborigines were healthier than Australians are today
But Aborigines often had the need of bush medicines
Aborigines used a range of remedies – wild herbs, animal products, steam baths,
string amulets and secret chants.
Aboriginal remedies varied between clans. There was no one Aboriginal
pharmacopoeia, just as there was not one Aboriginal language
Serious illness and death were caused by spirits
Accidents were often attributed to malevolence
Spiritual doctors were men of great wisdom and stature with immense power
Only they could name the cause of serious illness or death and effect a cure.
TABLE OF REMEDIES
HEADACHE
Red ash, Headache vine, Rock fuchsia
bush, Liniment tree, Tamarind,
Snakevine
Bathe with crushed leaves in water;
Crushed leaves inhaled; Leaf decoction
drunk; Crushed leaves rubbed on head;
Fruit pulp rubbed on head; Mashed
stems wound around head
COUGHS, COLDS
Lemon grasses; Fuchsia bushes; Tea
trees; River mint; Great morinda
Decoction drunk or applied as wash;
Decoction drunk; Crushed leaves
inhaled; Decoction drunk; Ripe fruit
eaten
DREAMTIME
And Inner Space
LIVING THE DREAMING
• Tjukurrpa = the Dreamtime
• Time of the myths for the Aborigines, time of the creation of the
world
• Ancestors walked over the world and created the landscapes
• The “Ancestors” are often animals
• If there is a curved mountainous ridge, it was a huge snake of
Tjukurrpa, which once passed by and formed these mountains
• Every Aborigine has its own personal spirit, almost like a patron, or
perhaps his destiny
• Which spirit that is, is determined by the birthplace of the child
• This time represents the contents of the Aboriginal dances, the
Inma
Creative Expression:
Aboriginal art takes three forms: personal art, social art and sacred
or ritual art.
• The traditional creative expression is closely linked to the Dreaming
• Sacred art always implies "transformation”
• Mussolini Harvey, 1988:
"The Dreamings are our ancestors, no matter if they are fish, birds,
men women, animals, wind or rain. It was these Dreamings that
made our Law... and our Law is not like European Law, which is
always changing... our law cannot change. All things in our country
have Law, they have ceremony and song, and they have people who
are related to them...”
Aborigines in our time
Demografic Changes:
1920  60 000 Aborigines lived in Australia
1991  265 000
2006  464 000
• Their self-confidence grew and they get more
appreciation now.
• Only about 1/7 of the Aborigines are pureblooded
Symbolic Gifts
• David Unaipon  since 1995 on the Australian
50-Dollar note
• Gwoya Jungarai  since 1987 on the
Australian 2-Dollar coin
• Len Waters  in 1995 on a stamp
• Cathy Freeman  in 2000 on a stamp
Important Years
• 1967  Aborigines got Civil Rights
• 1976  Issue of the Aborigional Lands Right Act
• 1992  End of the racist ``terra nullius“ principle
 The Aborigines and other demonstrants
occupied the parliament in Canberra and hoisted the
Aborigional flag
• 1993  Year of the Indigenous People
Problems
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Poorest people in the Australian society
Rate of unemployment is about 20%
Little education
Expectation of age about 10 years under that
of the white people
• Rate of dead children twice as high
• High rate of child abuse
• alcoholism
Possible Solution
Different measures were initiated (June 2007):
• Measures that have the goal of creating a safe
environment for children
• Banning alcohol and pornography
• Comprehensive medical screening of children
• More police and more teachers
Other comments
• Actually, the term "Aboriginal" is discrimination.
The correct names are: East Murri; South-East
 Koori; South  Nanga; South-West 
Nyungar; West  Wonghi.
• Some Aborigines send their children to schools of
government stations, where they are taught the
language of the whites.
• There they are still taught the old myths, laws,
history and culture of their people to be proud of
their cultural identity
The fault of the white settlers?
In the 18th Century, the whites wanted to convert the
Aboriginal’s beliefs into “normal” ones, and of course,
make them civilized people.
Of course they were forbidden to continue dancing
their dances, whites tried to teach them their language
and culture, and showered them with all sorts of
excesses of our civilization: Infectious diseases, alcohol,
etc.
But since they didn’t even know metal and thought of
clothes as somehow unnecessary, they were degraded
to savages without any rights.
Sources and references
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„Kimberley Warrior“
„Mutant Message Down Under“
„Australian Encounters“
www.wikipedia.com
www.australian-panorama.de/.../aborigines-heute.html
Home.arcor.de/aborigines_australien/.../a_heute.html
De.wikipedia.org/wiki/aborigines
www.didgeridoo-treff.de/.../aboriines_heute
http://www.aboriginaldreamtime.net2go.info/Aboriginal/Aboriginal_Dreamtime.h
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