Aboriginal Spirituality

The Dreaming

the basis of Aboriginal spirituality, connecting past, present and future. Including the time of creation and the Ancestral Spirits but also the present. Land is the medium through which The Dreaming is expressed. A complex set of beliefs that explain all aspects of life.

Origins of the universe

For Aboriginal spirituality, 'origins' of creation occur with the actions of the Ancestral Spirits, who moved and interacted to shape and form the land, animals, plants, people, law, language, rituals etc.

Ancestral Spirits or Beings

The Ancestral Spirits are the ancestors of all people and creation. They shaped the world during the formation of land and people. They gifted land, language, lore, rituals, law etc to different peoples. Once the period of creative energy was over, they sank back into the Land, where they still reside. Totems connect individuals to their ancestors.

Totems

Animals or other natural objects that connect Aboriginal people to their ancestral spirit responsible for their creation. Most Aboriginal people have more than one totem. A key part of identity.

Sacred Sites

Places within Country/Land which possess spiritual energy. These are typically associated with an Ancestral Being. Aboriginal peoples (nations, clans, totemic groups) have a responsibility to care for sacred sites physically and also ritually (performing ceremonies to renew the land)

Dreaming stories

Stories passed down orally, or through other mediums like song, dance, art, ceremony. They connect past to present to future. They typically tell of the Ancestral Spirits and of the origins of land, people, animals, plants, law etc. Many will contain ethical teachings.

Symbolism and art

Means by which the Dreaming and stories of the Ancestors are expressed and communicated. However, often there is a 'secret-sacred' component to art and symbolism, with deeper meanings only being accessed by Elders.

Aboriginal spirituality as 'shared' or common

Aboriginal spiritualities typically share features like: the Dreaming, Ancestral Spirits (although varied), the centrality of Land, totems, oral traditions, ceremonial life, actions of elders

Aboriginal spirituality as 'diverse'

Different nations, language groups, clans, genders, totems ... these may all have different Dreaming stories, different

Ancestral Beings, different ceremonies and rituals etc.

Land / Country

The medium through which the Dreaming is lived and conveyed. Shaped by the actions of the Ancestors in the Dreaming, who continue to reside within the land. Gifted to different nations/clans/totems by the Ancestors.

Kinship

The complex network of relationships based primarily on birth / blood relationships. Rules, responsibilities and features of kinship have been set in place by the Ancestral Beings. Kinship also includes totems /skin names.

Identity

For First Nation peoples, identity is shaped by the Dreaming and the connection this provides to Country, to Ancestor Spirits (via totems), and to community through kinship. Hence, My Dreaming and My Country.

Elders

Key persons and keeps of knowledge within Aboriginal communities.Chosen in respect of kinship and being leaders of large extended familynetworks; overseers of Dreaming tracks/Land; being possessors ofsecret-sacred knowledge about Dreaming, rituals etc

Secret-Sacred knowledge

The concept that information is not always fully revealed to those whoaren't initiated - there are various levels of knowledge.

Songlines

Also known as 'Dreaming tracks', these mark the movement and travelsof the Ancestral Spirits, connecting sacred sites. They form an importantfunction in defining land and identity.

Balance rites

Rituals that renew the spiritual energy of the Land or nature (eg specific site, a totem/animal or plant)

Rituals and Ceremonies

Formal or repeated actions that bring to life and make real the Dreaming (via song, story, dance, symbol) or bring the spiritual energy of the Ancestors into the present. Including funeral rites,initiation rites/rites of passage, balance rites