The Aboriginals

Aborigines are the original inhabitants of Australia, they lived there for at least 50,000 years. The name is derived from the Aboriginal word aborigine of origin. The Aborigines lived as nomads. They wander through the land and lived by hunting, fishing and gathering food. They were hunting with the boomerang and Woomera, a tool looking like spear.

Before English settlers moved into Australia in 1788, there were 500 different Aboriginal clans, together 700,000 people. Each community had its own language and customs. After 1788 the Aborigines were suppressed by the English, land was taken away, people were killed and the Aborigines were not regarded as people. The last forty years, people think differently, and in desert areas in the north country is again returned to the Aborigines. There also many Aborigines now live in cities, they live a Western life while the other Aborigines have a strong connection to the Dreamtime have. Meanwhile, there are only 160,000 Aborigines, which is only 1% of the population of Australia.

The Aborigines are the indigenous people of Australia and lived there long before the Western world “discovered” Australia. Australia is largely desert. A sandy plain with grass, trees and shrubs and various animals, including koalas, kangaroos and crocodiles. It is also the largest island, yet also the smallest continent in the world.

Culture
Aboriginal culture is the oldest living culture on earth.

• Music – the didgeridoo, a hollowed by termites branch of a aucalyptusboom
• Stories – old stories from the Dreamtime
• Dance – traditional dance
• Art – Aboriginal art, colorful circle patterns and vivid renderings of the sacred Dreamtime
• (Secret) Ceremonies

The Dreamtime
The Aborigines believe in the Dreamtime – the time when the world was created. At that time, the mythical ancestral land. They descended from the sea, earth and heaven. They had many different forms such as animals. The Ancestors left traces in the Australian landscape.

The Droomweb
The mythical ancestors sang during their trips through the country, all animals, humans and plants alive. The paths are called trails or dream Songlines. All paths are called the Droomweb (Dreamweb). Along these paths are many sacred sites preserved.

Aboriginal Art
Because the Aborigines moved around, they were not paintings. They had no written language. But they made drawings in the sand, on bodies, rock climbing in holy places and objects. In 1970 the Aborigines were given access to Western materials such as acrylic, canvas and paper. Since then, the paintings are well preserved and there is great demand for Aboriginal art.