Introducing Aboriginal Culture

When discussing specific ceremonies it is important to have a local Aboriginal person present. There are many ceremonies and reasons for ceremonies in Aboriginal society, all have a firm place with The Dreaming. Great Ancestral Spirits arranged the earth by creating people, animals, plants and birds and these were all put in their respective places according to the land forms and spirits surrounding them. These Ancestral Spirits made rules and the law to govern the land, its people, animals and plants. If life on earth was to continue, these rules would need to be followed. Ceremonies ensure that vital components of this law and The Dreaming stay intact. They provide a time where all people in a language group work together for the survival of The Dreaming. All beliefs and stories of The Dreaming are individually owned and kept secure by individual members of a language group ensuring that they are protected for all people. These members of a language group had and continue to have the great task of ensuring that these stories were correctly remembered and passed on, and that the correct practise of rituals and ceremonies were performed to do this. Aboriginal ceremonies are concerned with acting out The Dreaming, its laws and stories. Men and Women had different roles in ceremonies and these roles varied from language group to language group. In many areas men were given the role as guardians of a special spiritual site where a ceremony was performed. This role meant that the site would need to be cared for accordingly so that that particular spirit would continue to live there. Women were the guardians of a special knowledge and therefore hold great religious and spiritual power within the language group.Roles in ceremonies would vary considerably depending on the reasons why the ceremony was being held. Some ceremonies were for men only, others were for women only and both men and women had their own particular Spirtual and sacred objects. Sometimes this is talked about as men's business and women's business....read more>>>....