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This
web site is dedicated to the hundreds of thousands of Indigenous Australians
who lost their lives after the British occupation of Australia in 1788. |
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Aboriginal Cultures Diversity It is important to realise that Aboriginal Australians have not just one culture, but about 400 different cultures across Australia, each with its own language, laws, traditions, and stories. Some of the languages are as different from each other as English is from Swahili, whilst others can be closely related, like Spanish and Portugese. Some of the Aboriginal cultures are rich in stories and ceremonies tied to the night sky, while in others the sky doesn't seem to play such an important role. So it makes no sense to talk of "an Aboriginal constellation", or the "Aboriginal word for the Moon". Nevertheless, there are some common threads running through many of the cultures. For example, most Aboriginal cultures are centred on the idea that the world was created in the "Dreaming" by ancestral spirits who have left their symbols all around us. If one can understand these symbols, then one has a complete understanding of the world, of the meaning of life, and of the rules by which one must live - a sort of user manual for existence. Naturally, the night sky is an important chapter of this manual. Specific examples of common threads across Aboriginal cultures include:
A
map showing the various aboriginal language groups can be found on the
Context Like any other cultural activity, it is impossible to understand how astronomy fits into Aboriginal cultures without first understanding the cultures themselves. Unfortunately, it is well beyond the scope of this web site to discuss them in any great detail. However, I hope that it may whet your appetite, and perhaps inspire you to learn more about them. A good starting point is this wikipedia page, and another is "Australian Dreaming: 40,000 years of Aboriginal History", by Jennifer Isaacs. Several other excellent books are recommended in "Further Reading".
Warning: Cultural Baggage!
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All
material on this page © Ray Norris 2007 except where otherwise
indicated.
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