Indigenous History Knowledge
Before colonisation or the First Fleet’s arrival on Australian shores, Aboriginal Australians experienced a rich culture of Lore (Law), customs, dance, art, totems, social protocols and many other ways of life that are unique to them.
Watch this short 10 minute video below.
The common belief that existed at this time in almost all Aboriginal countries was their spiritual beliefs, commonly known as the ‘Dreaming’. The Dreaming has an inseparable connection to land and Country.
Every ‘Country’ within Australia has its own dreamtime stories. Below is one story.
The Dreaming is a sacred time out of time where ancestral spirit beings formed and created the landscape. These ancestral spirits came from Country, the skies and the seas to create and form the land, vegetation, animals, rivers, hills and everything attached to Country. These ancestor spirits further established relationships between groups, individuals, animals and the land itself.
Once this work was done, the spirits changed again into rivers, trees, plants, animals and other natural forms found on the land. These are sacred places to the Indigenous people of Australia. As the ancestors did not disappear at the end of this creation time, which is part of The Dreaming, they remained in these sacred sites. The Dreaming is never-ending, linking the past and the present, the people and Country.
Each Indigenous mob has different Dreamings because the Country they live in is connected to a different story. Elders in mobs (tribes) and group leaders would teach others the songs, dances and paintings relevant to their specific Dreaming.
In most stories of the Dreaming, the Ancestor Spirits came to the earth in human form and as they moved through the land, they created the animals, plants, rocks, rivers, mountains and other forms of the land that we know today.
These Ancestral Spirits also formed the relationships between Aboriginal people, the land and all living beings.
Because the ancestors did not disappear at the end of the Dreaming, but remained in these sacred sites, the Dreaming is never-ending, linking the past, present and the people and the land.
Dreamings allow Aboriginal people to understand their place in traditional society and nature, and connects their spiritual world of the past with the present and the future.
Some of the well-known dreaming stories are the Rainbow Serpent, Baiame, Lightning Brothers, Three Sister Mountains and many others.
Because of the Dreaming there was and is a strong connection to Country or physical land. However, for Indigenous people, it is a spiritual connection to a physical substance or space.
So, what was spoken on traditional land and what behaviour was carried out on Country, all had to be monitored and observed. This protocol indicates to Country and ancestors the respect and honour their posterity has for them.
Indigenous people who live and come from a particular Country group would not consider going over to another person’s Country by force, because their spirit does not come from that Country. Their spirit comes from the Country they live on.
Movement, Dance, Song and Painting
From the beginning, Indigenous dances have had songs connected to them. For Aboriginal people, this stems from the Dreaming. The Dreaming is also reflected in stories, which are then almost always captured in a painting.
It is important to note that Dreaming stories have a connecting dance, song and painting. This protocol ensured correct behaviours would be embodied, and Country and ancestors would be honoured.
Most importantly, it was like a compass that would point them in the right direction, to have a life of abundance, honour and real-life experience of what was most important. Or in other words, the manifestations that were carried out in these stories were not primarily aimed at the stories themselves, but at what was possible by adhering to the stories and the principles within.
Law
The Lore (law) springs forth from the Dreaming and from Country, given in the space of ‘Time Before Time’. This includes roles and responsibilities, representation of land, marriage, manhood, totems and imparting of knowledge. The Lore was enacted and carried out with great respect and reverence by the Indigenous Elders and their respective mob groups. An important point to remember is that the Lore is connected to Country through a spiritual paradigm, meaning that all spirits know when the lore is broken.
Men’s and Women’s Business
A strong cultural practice observed prior to colonisation within Indigenous Australia was men’s and women’s business. The men have have a traditional and cultural business that only they can manage and maintain. This is the same with women, but it is the women’s business. Men are not to know what happens in Women’s business and Women are not to know what happens in Men’s business this is the Lore.
It has nothing to do with an organisation or running a legal business. It is more about cultural protocols, social behaviours and the correct procedures to run ceremonies given by Lore and the Dreaming.
These types of processes and ceremonies within men’s and women’s business, in most cases, would be performed separately from each other. There were consequences if the opposite gender imposed on the other’s sacred business without permission.
During this period, Indigenous cultures acknowledged that neither man nor woman possessed greater needs or status. They both coexisted in different ways, and as a result, their needs were different and needed to be approached with that in mind.
Men knew what was best for men, and women knew what was best for women. This was written in the Lore and their Dreaming stories. In an equitable and cultural relationship, the Indigenous people of Australia have followed this protocol for thousands of years.
Kinship
The kinship system is a feature of Aboriginal social organisation and family relationships across Australia. The kinship system traditionally determined who would marry who, what ceremonial relationships would be, funeral roles and behaviour patterns with other kin.
It is also common for Indigenous people to have more than one mother. Your mother’s sister can be your mother; your uncle’s son can be your brother. These relationships are far different from that of Western society. However, this is a small aspect of the kinship system that Indigenous people of Australia have observed for thousands of years.
There are 3 levels of Indigenous kinship. Moiety, Totems and Skin names.
This video below explains it better.
Language
Before Western contact, Indigenous Australians spoke over 250 languages and 600 different language dialects. Before Captain Cook’s arrival, the First Nations People of Australia were able to speak at least two to three and up to five languages or dialects fluently. Indigenous Australians primarily had an oral culture to record history. This choice of record-keeping was passed down to each Indigenous generation by using landmarks and the environment to keep their culture and traditional stories alive. The challenge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people face today is trying to keep their traditional languages alive despite negative colonial influences.
Trade
Trade was practised between many Indigenous groups on the continent of Australia. In the northern tip of Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders would trade with Papua New Guinea and different parts of Indonesia. It was assumed this trade occurred before the 1800s for hundreds of years.
Trade was a method of sharing resources and a form of social control. It allowed different areas and different language groups to create healthy relationships and settle disputes. Trade relationships would also provide a space to share gifts of respect.
This traditional trade still continues today. The main Indigenous group that does traditional trade is the Torres Strait Islanders, specifically the islanders from the northern part of the Torres Strait Islands.
Sources:
Dreaming – https://www.aboriginal-art-australia.com/aboriginal-art-library/understanding-aboriginal-dreaming-and-the-dreamtime/
Understanding Kinship – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKVrAmkuxDc
Indigenous Languages in Australia – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ebtOhcoQM
NSW Government – https://everyonesbusiness.psc.nsw.gov.au/node/185#:~:text=The%20tradition%20of%20this%20lore,significant%20places%20and%20sacred%20sites.
Study reveals history of Aboriginal trade with foreign visitors before British settlement – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNd-gB3g048