Travels with Olga: Aboriginal Culture Down Under

Before the Europeans landed in Australia on January 26, 1788, between 750,00 and 1.25 million people lived on the continent. There were about 500 Aboriginal nations and languages. These people had been living here as hunter-gatherers for about 50,000 years. Their survival was due to their adaptation to the place where they lived and their accumulation of knowledge of the plants and wildlife around them over thousands of years. They also practiced conservation to ensure a continuing food supply.

The basic unit of Aboriginal society is the family, with groups of families living together in bands. The size of the band depended on the amount of food readily available although it varied between 10 and 50 people. Other bands of the same language group made up the tribe which would come together for important ceremonies or for trade but would generally live independently. When food and water were plentiful, bands would cluster together but in harder times they would scatter over a much larger area. Each person in a band had a responsibility that was clearly defined. Women and children collected wild berries and fruits, grubs, honey ants, bugs, etc. while the men hunted for larger game such as kangaroo, emu, or goanna.

Education of the children was accomplished through storytelling. It included everything from social behavior to how and when to find certain foods. As the children grew older, they learned more stories that they were expected to pass on to the next generation. Not all information was passed on, however. Sacred information could only be trusted to certain initiated men or women.

Spirituality

To Aboriginal people, the land is an integral part of their lives and its bounty decided their fate. Ceremonies were held to honor and worship the ancestors who created the land. This was an integral part of tribal life. Two essential parts of this spirituality were "The Dreaming" and the Two Souls.

The Dreaming In the Beginning...The Sky and Earth are eternal and each have their own eternal beings. The Sky beings have no interest in the Earth. These beings remained asleep and the Earth was featureless and covered in darkness. Time began when these sleeping supernatural forces awoke. The Sun and the Moon rose up from the Earth. Supernatural beings (Totemic Ancestors) in the form of animals and humans walked the Earth and created a trail of life. All features, mountains, lakes, rivers, etc. were believed to be made by these beings. After they had completed their labors, they became tired and returned to the Earth.

Two Souls The place at which a woman first feels signs of life or becomes aware of her pregnancy is an important part of the spiritual life of the Aboriginal people. A part of the spirit of the eternal ancestor that created that feature of the Earth enters the body of the baby. Depending on the place depends on which ancestor, i.e., Kangaroo, Honey Ant, Wedged Tail Eagle, etc.

Humans have two souls. One is the human mortal soul from the mating of man and woman. The other is an eternal soul from the totemic ancestor. Every human being is not just the offspring of human parents but also a re-born part of a supernatural ancestor. The particular spirit that enters the baby has a major influence on the life of that person.

If, for example, the spirit was a Kangaroo ancestor, then the child born with this totem will learn throughout his/her life all the sacred songs and rituals associated with being a Kangaroo person. In times of drought when food is scarce, a Kangaroo person may be called upon by his tribe to increase Kangaroo numbers. The rituals and sacred songs the Kangaroo person has learned over his lifetime must be performed exactly as they have been performed for thousands of years at sights of significant spiritual power left from the time of Creation. No deviation is permitted because the very survival of the tribe may depend on it.

The Nhunggabarra "Recipe" in Summary

This outline is taken from Treading Lightly: The Hidden Wisdom of the World's Oldest People by Karl-Erik Sveiby and Tex Skuthorpe, a 262-page book on the culture of the Nhunggabarra, an Aboriginal people of Australia in northwestern New South Wales. It provides a summary of their belief system.

Mission

Keep all alive

Core Belief: All are connected

"All are connected" (Ancestors, people, animals, plants, sky, and Earth)
Timelessness (time arrow is an illusion)
Eternal life and reward in the Warrambul (when one's mission is accomplished on Earth)
Individual spiritual relationship with Ancestors--there is no formal religion, no gods, no devil, no Hell
Spiritual world is mirrored in landscape on Earth--no tangible religious monuments

Core Value: Respect

For knowledge itself (learn about the responsibility required before access given)
For knowledgeable individuals (defer to more knowledgeable people)
For all individuals (do not impose your own view on other people)
For knowledge diversity (learn from foreign people)
For the rights of foreign people and countries (do not conduct conquests)
For the leadership role of other individuals (do not usurp the role of another person)

Economy: Intangible

Production and consumption are primarily intangible
Tools and equipment made of natural materials--recycle
Tightly coupled teams (families) are core production units
Intangible processes to keep all alive (stories, ceremonies, and dances)

Ecosystem: Care

Ecological farming methods--"eco-farming"
Natural medicine
Regulation of population
Nomadic life (to reduce human pressure on the ecosystem)

Primary Resource: Knowledge

Life-long learner-driven education
Eighteen-year knowledge journey
Status from knowledge--no status in material wealth
Knowledge safe-keeping (tuckandee, role-splitting)

Leadership: All Have a Role

Context-specific leadership--all have a leadership role to play
Impersonal role allocation (via planned marriages)
Processes to prevent individual power monopolies (role-splitting, respect)
Knowledge-based organizing (focus is on creating, sharing, and maintaining knowledge)
Consensus decision-making
Gender equality through role
Rule of law and enforcement of sanctions

Society: Build Community

Fuzzy country borders--"country ends where the story ends"
Networking processes for keeping peace (buurras, knowledge journeys, marriage rules)
Individual career (to take on more responsibililty for functionality of the community)
Generosity and sharing (reinforced by kinship rules)
Custodianship of land and knowledge--no individual ownership
Collaborative methods for increasing productivity
Widows, orphans, and elderly cared for by the community