aboriginal spirituality
‘Aboriginal spirituality is as diverse and complex as the people themselves’
The statement, ‘Aboriginal spirituality is as diverse and complex as the people themselves’, relates Aboriginal people to their culture and beliefs.
The Aborigines have a complex belief system and are complex people themselves. Our Native Australians have highly developed social systems, are deeply spiritual and have a close association to the land and nature.
The Aborigines have a particular social structure called the kinship system, this system is based around their relationships with others. When the Aboriginals meet and welcome a new person into their community or tribe they, in a way, adopt them. They become named as “daughter/sister” or “brother/son” etc. They have to name the person in relation to themselves to allow that person to fit into their society. The value of the kinship system is that it structures people's relationships, obligations and behaviour towards each other. This defines matters such as, who will look after children if a parent dies, who can marry whom, who is responsible for another person's debts or misdeeds and who will care for the sick and old. The kinship system is a complex idea, as the Aborigines are also.
The Aboriginal people believe in myths but do not have faith in a creator. Instead, they believe in a spirit world, they say that after death there is another world beyond, they trust in ideas of reincarnation. The spirits are active in this world but they also live on in a world after death. The Aboriginals use rituals as a way of communicating between the two worlds. Communities or tribes gather to take part in dances, story telling, art making and other practices. They group for these rituals at sacred sites, these are places or areas that hold great significance for the Aborigines. These fascinating beliefs are very deep and complex views of how the cycle of life on our Earth occurs.
The Aborigines have a closeness to and a love of
The statement, ‘Aboriginal spirituality is as diverse and complex as the people themselves’, relates Aboriginal people to their culture and beliefs.
The Aborigines have a complex belief system and are complex people themselves. Our Native Australians have highly developed social systems, are deeply spiritual and have a close association to the land and nature.
The Aborigines have a particular social structure called the kinship system, this system is based around their relationships with others. When the Aboriginals meet and welcome a new person into their community or tribe they, in a way, adopt them. They become named as “daughter/sister” or “brother/son” etc. They have to name the person in relation to themselves to allow that person to fit into their society. The value of the kinship system is that it structures people's relationships, obligations and behaviour towards each other. This defines matters such as, who will look after children if a parent dies, who can marry whom, who is responsible for another person's debts or misdeeds and who will care for the sick and old. The kinship system is a complex idea, as the Aborigines are also.
The Aboriginal people believe in myths but do not have faith in a creator. Instead, they believe in a spirit world, they say that after death there is another world beyond, they trust in ideas of reincarnation. The spirits are active in this world but they also live on in a world after death. The Aboriginals use rituals as a way of communicating between the two worlds. Communities or tribes gather to take part in dances, story telling, art making and other practices. They group for these rituals at sacred sites, these are places or areas that hold great significance for the Aborigines. These fascinating beliefs are very deep and complex views of how the cycle of life on our Earth occurs.
The Aborigines have a closeness to and a love of