Happy Birthday Oodgeroo Noonuccal!

Hello, and apologies for the long absence... life got in the way.  I'm sure that many of you saw the Google aboriginal themed title a couple days ago, but probably didn't understand much more other than recognizing the Aboriginal 'sand painting' technique.  Oodgeroo is the native name for the well known and loved Australian author Kath Walker, who is originally from North Stradbroke Island (which I have visited in a previous post!) During my time here I have been fortunate enough to meet Aboriginal people, as well as to be taking a class on the Aboriginal Dreaming and spiritual traditions.

Since I personally found that I knew virtually nothing about one of the world's oldest surviving cultures, I thought that I would compile some of the highlights of what I have learned so far through my own experiences and classes here:

-Archaeological evidence puts humans on Australia as early as 60,000 years ago

-Despite modern impressions that the interior of Australia is barren and empty, Aboriginal nations once occupied the whole continent, and continue to live in areas considered "unlivable"

-Uluru (or Ayers Rock) is much more than a giant red rock in the middle of Australia. It is made from Arkose, (which is not a naturally occurring compound) and formed during massive glacial movements across the continent millions of years ago.  It continues to be a place of extreme significance to Dreamtime stories, with the same rituals being carried out at its sacred sites the same way they have been for thousands of years.

-Boomerangs, contrary to popular belief were not originally of the "returning" variety, but instead took on a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and were used for everything from hunting, fighting, ritual musical instrument, and as a cutting tool

-Aboriginal culture is organised into a complex and multi-layered kinship system ensuring social harmony

-Although it may not appear so to us, all Aboriginal art is functional rather than decorative.  It depicts the painter's "country" and serves as a map marking the landscape, food sources, dream tracks and songlines, as well as sacred sites

-An Aboriginal identity is the land.  Period.  Modern land ownership laws and mining claims have sadly caused major conflicts with native people, who under Australian law had no claim on their ancestors' lands until recent passing of legislation (which still requires them to "prove" land occupation)

-In general, the Aboriginal culture had no crime, disease, or cultural issues until the settlement of Australia, and the resultant influence of colonization and the "White Australia" campaign

-The Aboriginal population in Australia now accounts for only 2% of the total

-The culture is one of purely oral traditions, with culture transmission occurring through the sharing of songs and stories, with a distinct series of coming of age stages and rituals to ensure its survival

-Aboriginal culture believes that humans are simply stewards of the land, and do not own it but rather must take care of it for the next generation..... A concept we are only just now beginning to grasp

The Aboriginal flag, with red representing the Red Center, yellow for the sun, and black for the people