• There is not just one Indigenous culture, instead there is a mixture of current and traditional thoughts, ways and practices.
• Traditionally, Indigenous people pass on cultural traditions from one generation to the next. This includes rituals, performances, language and knowledge of sacred site and cultural objects.
• Indigenous people living in urban areas may live less traditional lifestyles than those who live remotely, however cultural values, practices and obligations may still be followed.
• For Indigenous people, culture, family, kinship and connections to the land and spirituality are very important.
Significance of ‘Land’ to Aboriginal culture
• In Aboriginal culture, the land is life and culture cannot be separated from the land.
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• Traditionally Indigenous people are given a totem from either their mother or father and they are passed from generation to generation without ever changing.
• Totems hold great significance as they represent connections with the land, the Dreamtime and ancestors.
Kinship
• Kinship is a unique and complex system of belonging and responsibility in Indigenous culture that incorporates not only the family but also relationships surrounding a totem. This represents personal and group connection to ancestral beings of the land.
• Kinship influences daily life of Indigenous people, including individual responsibilities to other members in the clan.
• Kinship ties also give the responsibility of passing knowledge of the Dreaming from Elders to other generations. The Dreaming is communicated at different degrees depending on a person’s age and their position within the community. Learning about and sharing the Dreaming is a life long journey.
Traditional Law
• Indigenous people have long held a complex system of law known as ‘traditional law’ well before British law was introduced in
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• In certain situations, Indigenous people are not permitted to discuss cultural or ceremonial protocol to non-Indigenous people or to other people that are not from the same clan or tribal group. This may create silence or absence.
Ceremonial life
• Ceremonies are an important aspect of traditional Indigenous life and are still practised in some parts of Australia. These ceremonies may include rituals, chanting, singing and dancing to their Ancestral beings.
• Indigenous ceremonies may continue for weeks. Some ceremonies may be open for women and children to attend, whilst others may be sacred and attendance to the ceremony may have restrictions.
Smoking ceremony
• Indigenous people with specialised cultural knowledge conduct smoking ceremonies to cleanse people and the area in which the ceremony takes place.
• Smoking ceremonies are considered significant and are therefore usually only performed for significant spiritual events. For example; a smoking of a room may be held after the death of an Indigenous person.
Appearance myths
• One of the biggest myths is that if you have fair skin, or blue or green eyes, or light hair, you can’t be an Aboriginal or Torres Strait
Key aspects of Indigenous knowledge include: monism, holism, relations, reciprocity, and inner/outer space (Frideres). The monist aspect of Indigenous ways of knowing suggests that there is no division between mind and matter. All animate and inanimate things have life spirit, and hence hold knowledge. Indigenous knowledge is holistic as it identifies cultural context as a central influence on knowledge. In this way, Indigenous ways of knowing are subjective. Relationships between all things on earth are a key component of Indigenous thought. This ties into the principle of reciprocity, which highlights the importance of actions and reactions between all things. Indigenous peoples believe they are not only in a reciprocal relationship with living and non-living things, but that they are responsible to them. When one comes about a certain piece of knowledge, one is transformed by it and therefore have a responsibility to act in light of that knowledge and share it in a conscientious manner. Finally, Indigenous knowledge is situated in the ‘inner space,’ as it is inherently colored by the reality that exists in each individual. Reality is bound by cultural and social contexts. In this way, Indigenous knowledge recognizes a multitude of realities that are interconnected
Furthermore, from indigenous people’s development, we more pay attention to the culture that are on a verge of
Continue on this direction could threatened the culture of collectivism in our indigenous communities, as indigenous people (including other races) are now forced to live under an individualistic culture, that are supported by so many government programs and policies. This lead to most indigenous people become so dependent on government assistance, and could be one contributing factor for difficulties in achieving tribal autonomy. Individual tribal members who are now residing in urban centers are the most vulnerable group to this invasive individualistic culture and lifestyle, with some tribal members now forget their mother tongue language, culture and
can gather some basic understanding of what is seen to be of value in a certain
Indigenous are tribal people who identify themselves as indigenous people. They inhabited a region in a country, generations to generations, which is surrounded by national resources. Their social, cultural and economic conditions distinguish them from countrywide communities, and their customs or traditions, special laws or policy are governed by their own set of regulations, entirely or partly. They are determined to maintain and further develop their identity and distinct social, economic, cultural and political institutions as distinct peoples and community, (“UNITED NATIONS PERMANENT FORUM ON INDIGENOUS,” 2008, p. 7-9).
Indigenous people partake in various traditional healing processes which include smudging, healing circles, sweat lodge, sun dance, pipe ceremony and potlach, they also have four sacred medicines which
Atkinsons (2005) states that within Indigenous communities,Land and Country are interchangeably used to illustrate as “a resource,which behaves as a living being,and a life support system for humans”. Indigenous model of health revolves around a number of components such as nourishments, stress reduction, interaction with the land with a higher emphasize being placed on traditional land, personal identification and culture playing a significant role contributing towards a balanced health outcome (‘Yotti’ Kingsley, Townsend, Phillips & Aldous, 2009). As highlighted in Lutschini, 2005, association of native individuals to their country, sense of group and family is essential to the experience of wellbeing. As identified in literature, land plays a crucial and central figure in Indigenous identity encompassing physical,spiritual,cultural and emotional bonds (Richmond, Elliott, Matthews & Elliott, 2005). Throughout centuries through to present
Aboriginal In Canada, many Aboriginal people highly value traditional knowledge that the environment can teach them. They have traditional ways of using natural resources. They also have a sort of theory that a person is connected by the food they eat, their environment, and the impact of lifestyle choices. These three things are essential to have a good quality of life. In Aboriginal communities, oral history is very important.
Put simply, the basis of the kinship system meant that aboriginals regarded their entire group as
In traditional Aboriginal society inter-personal relationships are governed by a Complex system of rules, known as the classificatory system of kinship. The kinship system
The roots and customs of Native American tribes run deep. A feeling of respect and tradition is in the air. Every little detail has meaning and a certain level of pride and of importance to each individual taking part in the ceremony. According to Access
In the Cultural immersion program, Uncle David Tourinier, a local elder stated that there were three ways of life that taught an indigenous person all important aspects of life so he can become a story teller and pass on the knowledge to the future generations so that they can succeed. He stated the first thing was the talk and that the language goes hand in hand with the culture, as it talks about who they are, it talks about things important to them. Second thing was the hunting and gathering. It was all about celebrating, eating about sharing and about talking to families. The third was the songs and dances. Once one was fully equipped with the three, one was taken to be “qualified”. Uncle David also stated that kinships and family were also a very important part of there being.
Aboriginal people managed a complex system called “kinship” where every member has a clear relationship to each other and have roles and responsibilities attached to them.
Cultural integrity, wellbeing and expression are three important aspects in the aboriginal people’s life. Cultural wellbeing is having the freedom of expressing art, history, heritage and traditions of your own culture and to belong to a cultural group. Cultural expression is the way in which a community expresses its culture; It can be dances, art, songs, etc. To have cultural integrity is to respect other people’s cultural differences.
In this class, I was presented with an opportunity to reflect upon my personal knowledge of Indigenous