The Aborigines are native Australians, the first population of the country. They have been living there for more than 40,000 years and are one of the oldest populations in the world. Several archeological studies have been carried out, but they have not been able to find a concrete explanation to the origin of this population.
Today, the Aborigines constitute about 1.6% of the inhabitants in Australia, which are about 265,000 people. The last two centuries were awful in terms of, a kind of genocide. But in spite of this oppression, the Aborigines have managed to keep their traditions and they now try to combine their culture with the modern world in which they live.
All their traditions are in relation with their beliefs. Indeed, they think the Earth is their mother and they pay tribute to it by different means. To explain their history, the native Australians believe in the Dreamtime philosophy, when their ancestors created the world. Now, the Aborigines pay tribute to them by linking the men to the world of spirits. They have different means to do that which include: songs, painting, music, etc. Their art and culture are above all religions and they relate their myths and beliefs.
[...] During the last two centuries, the Aborigines had to change their lifestyle. Earlier, they were nomads and they moved with the seasons and rains, to insure their hunting and picking. They lived in huts and often used wood in order to create arms, or as supports of their art (pint, didgeridoos,). But during the European colonization, they were forced to move towards the most hostile regions of Australia. Now, this population has several types of lives: of Aborigine people live in rural and far-off areas. [...]
[...] The dreamtime philosophy The Dreamtime, or Niyunghyunggi, is the Aborigines' mode of life and thought. It refers to the creation, the genesis of the world. It is the time of the origin and tells the Aborigines about the myths of the creation of life, the lands, etc. The Aborigines believe that they exist thanks to mythical ancestors who created the world. The Dreamtime relates a series of concepts which explain how the world was born. According to the Aborigines, the world was created when their mythical ancestors, sacred spirits, went out from the ground and established the cycle of life, the lands, the minerals, the fauna and flora, the day and the night, etc. [...]
[...] The Aboriginal music Music is an important element in the everyday life of the Aborigines. The melodies, tunes, harmonies, and rhythm of Aboriginal music include traditional ceremonial songs, which allow the tribes to pay tribute to their ancestors. It is very important to them to replicate the songs that had been first played and sung by the Sacred Spirits in the Dreamtime. The Aborigines believe that their songs allow them to appeal to the spiritual powers their ancestors had left in the ground. [...]
[...] Since 1970, the Australian government has granted subsidies to Aboriginal painters and now we can see their works in museums all across the world. To answer the worldwide demand, there are some “cooperatives of painters” in the Aboriginal communities, run by White artistic cooperators who furnish the artists all the equipment they need. They also ensure the sales of the paintings and the payment due to the painters. This introduction of the worldwide trade has created a diversification of the style and new expressions. [...]
[...] The Aboriginal men are allowed to play the didgeridu and by breathing out in this instrument, and it produce musical vibrations, which are mystical sounds. But they have to master the circular breathing technique (the person has to breathe in while breathing out the air which is in the mouth, as in a reservoir). The didgeridu is not normally used as a solo instrument, but rather accompanies clap sticks, singing and dancing. The Aboriginal art Painting is another form of artistic expression, another famous tradition of the Aborigines which is also in relation with the Dreamtime philosophy. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
