Aboriginal Culture & PeopleAboriginal culture in the form of art has been produced for thousands of years for private purposes: to tell creation stories (Dreamings), to maintain the law and customs and to maintain the knowledge for survival and attachment to their land. The phenomenon that is called 'contemporary Aboriginal art' is a continuation of a long artistic tradition but it had been adapted for use as public art. The materials may have changed but the stories and designs are traditional. |
Aboriginal CultureAboriginal culture in the form of art has been produced for thousands of years for private purposes: to tell creation stories (Dreamings), to maintain the law and customs and to maintain the knowledge for survival and attachment to their land. The phenomenon that is called 'contemporary Aboriginal art' is a continuation of a long artistic tradition but it had been adapted for use as public art. The materials may have changed but the stories and designs are traditional. |
Aboriginal PeopleAustralian Aboriginal People are not one homogeneous group. Prior to European settlement it is estimated that there were more than 70 separate nations and more than 600 distinct language groups. Today there are still more than 200 distinct language groups still spoken. Aboriginal people do not speak English as a first language and many speak several aboriginal languages. Aboriginal people do not refer to themselves as Aborigines but instead refer to themselves according to their language sub group, tribe or clan. |
Aboriginal WomenMale and female ancestral figures played a major role in the Dreaming and were used as a guide to the partnerships between men and women. Aboriginal women shared an interdependent relationship with the men playing a dominant role in child rearing and food gathering and sharing the roles of healers, law makers, performers, painters and custodians of traditional ways. Women maintain their traditional knowledge through ceremony and more recently through their paintings. 
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Aboriginal SpiritualityAboriginal spirituality lies in the belief in a cultural landscape. Everything on the vast desert landscape has meaning and purpose. Life is a web of inter relationships where man and nature are partners and where the past is always connected to the present. Through their painting, Aboriginal artists are paying respect to their ancestral creators and at the same time strengthening their belief systems. |
Aboriginal MusicAboriginal music plays a strong role in Aboriginal culture. Aboriginal people 'sing their country' in ceremony that combines song, dance and art. Each Dreaming has an associated song and paintings should be seen in the context of the song and dance that accompanied the production of that work. |
Aboriginal FoodAboriginal Food plays a significant role in indigenous art. The seasonal knowledge of where to locate food essential for survival in the Central Desert is enshrined in Dreaming Stories and passed from generation to generation in story, song, dance and paintings. |
Aboriginal Flag of AustraliaThe design of the Aboriginal flag has its roots in the traditional art from Central Australia. Like the acrylic art, the bold yet unsettling design evokes many profound readings and continues to grow as a unifying symbol of Aboriginality in Australia. |
The Last NomadsIn a 2007 interview Warlimpirrnga said "I couldn't believe it. I thought he was the devil, a bad spirit and was the colour of clouds at sunrise. |
Awelye (Women's Ceremony) ArtAwelye refers to women's ceremonies associated with women's business and also refers to the painting of designs on a women's body. This spiritual, sensuous and meditative performance reflects the nurturing role of women in Aboriginal society.
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Bush MedicineStriped mint-bush Prostanthera striatiflora |
Aboriginal word glossary
