Page 197-200 SOR Questions

Aboriginal spirituality as determined by Dreaming

Glossary
ATSI people: aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people

Meta temporal: incorporates the past, present, & future as a complete & present
reality (for The Dreaming)

Country- Term used by Aboriginal peoples to refer to the land to which they

belong and their place of Dreaming

Elders- key leaders of a community, they are chosen and accepted by their own

communities as Elders in respect of:

Estate- the heartland of a local group and the centre of their attachment to

territory
Kinship- the system of relationships traditionally accepted by a particular

culture and the rights and obligations they involve

Assimilation- A nineteenth century idea that peoples should be absorbed into

the majority culture.

Evangelise- Literally means to teach the gospel. Bringing people to Christianity.
Mission- an Aboriginal settlement that may or may not have been at one time a
religious institution. A person is described as living in or off a mission, rather

than in or at
Integration- A form of assimilation that recognises many Aboriginal peoples

wish to keep a distinct identity

Land Rights- Claims by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to

repossession and compensation for use of their lands and sacred sites
Native title- The name given by the High Court of Australia to Indigenous

property rights recognised by the court as handed down in the Mabo decision
Self-Discrimination- The achievement of full and effective participation of
Indigenous peoples in Australian society.

Review page 199

1. Explain in your own words the concept of kinship for Indigenous Australians
The kinship system is where everyone is related to everyone else. It is divided to three
main aspects:
1) Physical structuring of society though family, horde and tribe
2) Religious Structuring based on beliefs and customs, totems and marriage
laws

3) Social Structuring is a natural part of life for Aboriginies and its details
vary from tribe to tribe.

2. How does the concept of kinship differ from your own? For example, whom do
you consider
My parents are my kin as they are the closest blood relative people there are
3. Explain how ceremonial life gives meaning and purpose to life as an Aboriginal
person.
Traditional Aboriginal peoples have a rich ceremonial life. There are rites of passage,
such as initiation and death and burial, and periodic ceremonies unconnected with the
life cycle and performed at various intervals for a variety of reasons
4. How death and burial rituals are connected to the Dreaming
Everything in the land is connected to the dreaming and therefore death and burial
rituals are also connected to the dreaming

Review Page 200

1 Clarify what Aboriginal peoples mean by my country.
The country belongs to the Aboriginal People as it is connected with their Dreaming
2 It belongs to me. I belong to the land. I rest in it. I come from there. Explain what
this statement says about Aboringinal societies and their relationship to the land.
3 Aboriginal spiritualities are determined by Dreaming. Summarise the key points that
support this statement.

Review Page 202

1. Missionary institutions- An institution where the government took the children
of aboriginal people and forced cultural oppression and to educate them into
Christian ways and beliefs.
Assimilation- the process of adapting or adjusting to the culture of Australia
and Christian beliefs, and being forced to adapt.
Evangelisation- To preach and promote the gospel, therefore forcibly converting
aboriginal children out of their traditional belief systems.
2. Protection is preventing someone from harm, but assimilation is forcibly
changing someone, which could be seen as protection but no consent is given for
assimilation.

3. The separation from country is removing an aboriginal from their beliefs, their
way of life, where all of their traditional belongings and rituals are performed as
well as sacred sites specific to their totem clan.

Review Page 204

1. Protection and assimilation facilitated the removal of children from their
fathers and mothers are the European refugees in Australia saw that the
method the aboriginal people were living was not safe and brought them up as
white people, as it was the government at the time was trying to save them,
however this was really just destroying their traditional identity
2. ( in pairs)

Review Page 207

1. Mabo decision and native title act 1933
2. The first Land Rights was first used in 1976 aboriginal land rights in the
northern territory
3. The Native title is the ownership or title to a land due to generations of life
lived on that area it recognised the existence of Aboriginal native title in
Australian federal law and the native title rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples.
1. Mabos judgement proved native title however wiks judgement did not prove
native title. In 1982 five Torres Strait Islanders, including Eddie (Koiki) Mabo,
began legal proceedings to establish title for the Meriam people to Murray
(Mer) Island. In 1996 the High Court made another important decision in the
Wik case which relates to a claim of native title on land that included pastoral
leases granted by the Queensland Government. Terra nullius- land belonging to
no one
2. The land rights movement common law on the native inhabitants and took away
their sovereignty. For Aboriginal people the dispossession and dislocation from
their land had devastating consequences because the Land was central to their
entire existence.

Timeline
1901: Commonwealth of Australia formed. Indigenous Australians are excluded from

the census and the lawmaking powers of the Commonwealth Parliament.

1938: Day of Mourning held by the Aborigines League (est 1932) and the Aborigines

Progressive Association (1937). It is the first major protest by Indigenous people. The
manifesto Aborigines Claim Citizen Rights and the newspaper Abo Call are published.

1949: Australian Citizenship Act gives Indigenous Australians the vote in Commonwealth

elections if they are enrolled for State elections or have served in the Armed Forces.
1957: National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC) formed with support

from Federal and State Governments, churches and major Indigenous organisations. Its
aim is to promote Aboriginal Sunday as a day to draw community attention to
Indigenous people in Australia.
1958: The Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines (later the Federal Council

for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders) begins a ten year
campaign to end Constitution's discrimination against Indigenous people.
1962: All Indigenous people are given the vote in Commonwealth elections.
1970-1971: Neville Bonner becomes the first Indigenous member of Parliament when he

filled a casual Senate vacancy.

1972: Tent Embassy established outside Parliament House. It adopts the Indigenous

flag.
Whitlam Government elected; White Australia policy abolished. Department of
Aboriginal Affairs established. Self-determination adopted as policy for Indigenous
people.
Neville Bonner is elected on the Liberal Party ticket in Queensland.
1975: Whitlam hands back title to Gurindji people.

Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) passed.

Aboriginal Day extended to National Aborigines Week.
1976: Aboriginal Land Rights Act (NT)
1978: Pat O'Shane becomes the first Indigenous law graduate and barrister.
1983: Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW) recognizes dispossession and

displacement.
1985: Uluru handed back to traditional owners.
1987: Hawke sets up Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
1993: Native Title Act.
2000: Corroboree 2000. Handover of Document for Reconciliation at Sydney Opera

House, more than 300 000 join in the Bridge Walk.

2004: Federal Government introduces legislation to abolish ATSIC.

TJ Hickey is killed while being followed by police the Redfern Riot erupts.

Mulrunji Doomadgee dies in police custody, sparking a riot on Palm Island.

2006: Aden Ridgeway chairperson of National NAIDOC committee.
2007 - 21st June: Howard Government announces its intervention into Northern

Territory Indigenous communities.

2008 - 13th February: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says 'Sorry' to the Stolen

Generations.
2010 - 8th November: Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces plans to recognise

Indigenous Australians in the Constitution.