Aboriginal Culture Identity - Essay Example

Aboriginal Culture Identity Name Course Tutor Institution Date Introduction Whenever people understand intercultural contact, the first thing they try to understand is who they are. Before major contact, this was a non-issue to most individuals, and it didn’t matter whom one was in relation to other people. Individuals naturally and normally think of themselves as a portion of their cultural society, and this is valued positively. Life translations like the adolescence make people wonder and sometimes they don’t believe whom they are. Cultural identity turns out to be a concern only during the intercultural contact. Intercultural contact between the non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people groups in Australia, has brought about the procedure of cultural assimilation (at both the mental and social levels), amid which Aboriginal people groups have encountered disruption of their culture, prompting diminished prosperity and to personality loss and confusion. It is further contended that since this procedure has come about because of associations in the middle of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people g between the non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people groups , the way to restoring a feeling of prosperity and a safe social character dwells in rebuilding the connections between these two groups. This paper will discuss the Aboriginal culture when looking at the definition, major beliefs as well as some of the difficulties in intercultural communication between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultures. Cultural identity The concept of identity-related closely to self-concept. It can be described as the way in which people identify themselves. The concept of identity is normally well-thought-out to be more than knowledge or belief that is paid attention to in the concept of self-concept. Identity, most of the times, shows the sense of attachment, social identity is the section of a person’s social concept which develops the understanding of an individual’s membership in a social group together (Berry 1999). The Australian Aboriginal people are a portion of the oldest culture in the history of mankind that is still in existence up to now. They possess a rich culture which involve a value, lore and custom system which is founded on their sustainability of obligation, belonging, and responsibility to take care of their environment, people as well as land and spiritual connection. Their intimate understanding of the natural resources, as well as the environment in their vicinity (Berry 1999), came about due to sustained and long contact, and their appreciation for the spirits which possess these spots, shape their life in the area. This understanding is gotten from Aboriginal people groups' involvement in living for a considerable length of time in close congruity with the area. It means knowing the common habitat and its assets, the utilization of characteristic assets and the relationship of individuals to the area and to one another. Through give emphasis to the essential part of relationship to the ecosystem in the lives of Aboriginal people groups, their culture can be defined as: amassed information which incorporates spiritual connections, associations with the indigenous ecosystem and the supportable utilization of natural resources, and connections between individuals, which are revealed in Social organizations, dialect, cultural laws, beliefs, customs values and narratives (Andrews 2006). The symbol of the aboriginal people of Australia is their close relation with nature. In customary Aboriginal conviction, landscape and nature can only be compared with the significance of a Bible in the culture of staunch Christians. The aboriginal people the natural features, as well as animals, sun and the moon each, had a meaning, and they were all interconnected and they believed that all of them were sacred. Due to this close relation with the ecosystem, the aboriginal developed the knowledge of how to live in harmony with animals and the land. Nomadic life was the way of life for the Customary Australian Aborigines; they followed the seasons and the food. With their incredible skills coupled together with the simple tools in their possession, the aboriginal people figured out how to live in the brutal and unwelcoming Australian outback. During the time when they were resting, Aborigines lived in simple structures produced using bark, leaves or other vegetation, caves or open camps. Their innovation was both basic and modern. Most importantly, it was suitable for their lifestyle - in a perfect world coordinated to the limitations of traveling life. The current idea of belonging is an outsider to conventional Aboriginal society. Material things were shared inside of gatherings. The thought that an individual could claim the land was alien to the thinking of any Aboriginal (Rolfe and Windle, 2003). Major beliefs In the same way as other different religions, Aboriginal religion is categorised by having a god or gods who created individuals and the encompassing environment within a specific creation time toward the very beginning. Aboriginal individuals are extremely religious and profound, but instead of praying to a solitary god they can't see, every gathering, for the most part, trusts in various diverse gods, whose picture is frequently delineated in some unmistakable, conspicuous structure. This structure may be that of a specific feature of a landscape, a picture in a stone craftsmanship cover, or in animal form or in a plant (Rolfe and Windle, 2003). The features of a landscape may be the god's epitome itself, for example, a specific rock speaking to a particular figure, or they may be the consequence of something the god did or that happened to the divinity in the Creation Period, for example, a stream having shaped when the Rainbow Serpent went through the zone in the Creation Period, or a depression in a stone or in the ground signifying the foot shaped impression or sitting spot of an Ancestral Being (Rolfe and Windle, 2003). Aboriginal individuals don't have confidence in animism. This is the conviction that every natural creature or objects have a spirit. They don't trust that a stone has a spirit, yet they may trust that a specific rock outcrop was made by a specific god in the creation period, or that it represents a god from the Creation Period. They trust that numerous creatures and plants are exchangeable with human life through reincarnation of the soul or soul and that this relates back to the Creation Period when these creatures and plants were once individuals (Welch, 2015). There is no single divinity covering all of Australia. Every tribe has its own particular gods with a cover of convictions, generally as there is a cover of words between dialect bunches. Subsequently, for instance, the Wandjina spirits in the northern Kimberley of Western Australia have a place with the Ngarinyin, Worora and Wunambal tribes. These Wandjina are in charge of bringing the Wet Season downpours, and also setting down huge numbers of the laws for the general population. As one voyage east, this capacity is assumed control by Yagjagbula and Jabirringgi, The Lightning Brothers of the Wardaman tribe in the Victoria River District of the Northern Territory, then by Nargorkun, otherwise called Bula, in the upper Katherine River region, and by Namarrgun, the Lightning Man in the Kakadu and western Arnhem Land locales (Welch, 2015). Up to now, ceremonies are still a part of the and an important one for the aboriginal people. Some parts of Australia still practise rituals to make sure there is the supply of animal and plant foods. The rituals involve singing, chanting and dancing. The crucial ceremonies include the initiation of girls and boys into adulthood and funeral ceremonies which include the primary and the secondary burial (Lalonde 2006). Intercultural communication and Racism between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultures Powerful communication is crucial to all human relation. It is a two route procedure of conveying and getting messages. Diverse cultures contrast altogether around communication, guidelines of communication efficiency as well as interpersonal protocols. Poor communication has been a central element in the correspondence between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal societies (Sharifian & Jamaran 2013).Aboriginal groups have always met obstructions within standard frameworks and Aboriginal social needs have been to a great extent marked down, overlooked and undermined. At the point when communicating with Aboriginal families, consider different variables which may influence correspondence (Sharifian & Jamaran 2013). A few individuals from the Aboriginal group may experience issues with literacy and numeracy. These individuals from the Aboriginal group who do not have these abilities should be assisted by writing statements, reading information as well as completing forms (Lalonde 2006). It is normal for some Aboriginal individuals to utilize swear words in their consistent vocabulary and when all is said in done discussion. Swearing is not thought to be as hostile as it is in non-Aboriginal society (Sharifian & Jamaran 2013). The white settlers who invaded Australia brought with them new diseases and commodities which were not known to the indigenous people and they also brought attitudes and ideas towards the local population which were developed due to contact with Africa, Asia and Middle East over a long period of time. A majority of the ideas were racialist, elevating the European society while regarding the indigenous as primitive and nonbelievers. The settlers compared the indigenous people with dogs and even claimed that they should be shot like dogs (Dunn, Forrest, Burnley & McDonald, 2004) The situation that was encountered by the indigenous people was extensively diverse all over the country, although they were pitied at their best and disrespected when the settlers thought that they would develop the economy of the country. The remnant groups worked for the British settlers or crowded together on the boundaries of the towns. At last, the state government came up with laws that wanted to control firmly the lives of the indigenous inhabitants on their way to hypothetically predictable extermination (Jayasuriya, 2002). The oppressive and ruthless legislation regulated where to reside or not reside as an aborigine, where they could work and for how much, whom to marry, what to own, the kind of education their children received and many more aspects of their day to day life mainly social life like gambling or taking alcohol or the risk of white people contamination by diseases or race mixing or morally wrong behaviour (Hollinsworth, 1998). Conclusion As opposed to the words on paper, Aboriginal culture is not stagnant, but rather reacts to change through getting new information and adjusting to its effects. The knowledge of Aboriginal culture is passed on through oral custom (dance, language, art, story and song) from era to era, and encapsulates and upholds the association to the land. Landscapes and cultural places house these stories, and safeguarding of these landscapes and places is critical to the long haul survival of these stories in Aboriginal society. After the entry of Europeans especially the British into Australia, numerous Aboriginal individuals were persuasively expelled from their customary land. This was aggravated by the successive presentation of government laws and approaches. Despite this, Aboriginal individuals all through Australia who, through legend and custom, hold social information proceed with their social association in contemporary society. They keep on keeping up a profound admiration for their tribal conviction framework, legend and traditions and obligations. They regard their commitments to secure and preserve their way of life and legacy and look after their customary terrains or Country. References Andrews G, Daylight C, Hunt J. et al 2006, Aboriginal cultural heritage landscape mapping of coastal NSW, prepared for the Comprehensive Coastal Assessment by the NSW Department of Natural Resources, Sydney, NSW. Berry, J. W. 1999. Aboriginal cultural identity. Canadian Journal of Native Studies, Vol. 19, No .1, pp. 1-36. Dunn, K.M., Forrest, J., Burnley, I. & McDonald, A. 2004: ‘Constructing racism in Australia’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 409-430 Hollinsworth, David.1998. Race and Racism in Australia.2nd ed, Katoomba Social Science Press Jayasuriya, L. 2002 ‘Understanding Australian Racism’, Australian Universities Review, Vol. 45 No. 1, pp. 40-44. Lalonde, C. E. 2006. Identity formation and cultural resilience in Aboriginal communities. Promoting resilience in child welfare, pp. 52-71. Rolfe, J. and Windle, J. 2003. Valuing the Protection of Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Sites. Economic Record, Vol.79(SpecialIssue), pp.S85-S95. Sharifian, F., & Jamarani, M. (Eds.). (2013). Language and intercultural communication in the new era. Routledge. Welch, D. 2015. Aboriginal Culture - Aboriginal Religion and Ceremony. [online] Aboriginalculture.com.au. Available at: http://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/religion.shtml [Accessed 10 Sep. 2015]. Read More

Through give emphasis to the essential part of relationship to the ecosystem in the lives of Aboriginal people groups, their culture can be defined as: amassed information which incorporates spiritual connections, associations with the indigenous ecosystem and the supportable utilization of natural resources, and connections between individuals, which are revealed in Social organizations, dialect, cultural laws, beliefs, customs values and narratives (Andrews 2006). The symbol of the aboriginal people of Australia is their close relation with nature.

In customary Aboriginal conviction, landscape and nature can only be compared with the significance of a Bible in the culture of staunch Christians. The aboriginal people the natural features, as well as animals, sun and the moon each, had a meaning, and they were all interconnected and they believed that all of them were sacred. Due to this close relation with the ecosystem, the aboriginal developed the knowledge of how to live in harmony with animals and the land. Nomadic life was the way of life for the Customary Australian Aborigines; they followed the seasons and the food.

With their incredible skills coupled together with the simple tools in their possession, the aboriginal people figured out how to live in the brutal and unwelcoming Australian outback. During the time when they were resting, Aborigines lived in simple structures produced using bark, leaves or other vegetation, caves or open camps. Their innovation was both basic and modern. Most importantly, it was suitable for their lifestyle - in a perfect world coordinated to the limitations of traveling life.

The current idea of belonging is an outsider to conventional Aboriginal society. Material things were shared inside of gatherings. The thought that an individual could claim the land was alien to the thinking of any Aboriginal (Rolfe and Windle, 2003). Major beliefs In the same way as other different religions, Aboriginal religion is categorised by having a god or gods who created individuals and the encompassing environment within a specific creation time toward the very beginning. Aboriginal individuals are extremely religious and profound, but instead of praying to a solitary god they can't see, every gathering, for the most part, trusts in various diverse gods, whose picture is frequently delineated in some unmistakable, conspicuous structure.

This structure may be that of a specific feature of a landscape, a picture in a stone craftsmanship cover, or in animal form or in a plant (Rolfe and Windle, 2003). The features of a landscape may be the god's epitome itself, for example, a specific rock speaking to a particular figure, or they may be the consequence of something the god did or that happened to the divinity in the Creation Period, for example, a stream having shaped when the Rainbow Serpent went through the zone in the Creation Period, or a depression in a stone or in the ground signifying the foot shaped impression or sitting spot of an Ancestral Being (Rolfe and Windle, 2003).

Aboriginal individuals don't have confidence in animism. This is the conviction that every natural creature or objects have a spirit. They don't trust that a stone has a spirit, yet they may trust that a specific rock outcrop was made by a specific god in the creation period, or that it represents a god from the Creation Period. They trust that numerous creatures and plants are exchangeable with human life through reincarnation of the soul or soul and that this relates back to the Creation Period when these creatures and plants were once individuals (Welch, 2015).

There is no single divinity covering all of Australia. Every tribe has its own particular gods with a cover of convictions, generally as there is a cover of words between dialect bunches. Subsequently, for instance, the Wandjina spirits in the northern Kimberley of Western Australia have a place with the Ngarinyin, Worora and Wunambal tribes. These Wandjina are in charge of bringing the Wet Season downpours, and also setting down huge numbers of the laws for the general population.

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