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Koori Spirituality
Spirituality for
Indigenous Australians takes many
forms. Its forms and practices have been profoundly influenced by the
impact of colonialism, both past and present. Some Indigenous
Australians share the religious beliefs and values of religions
introduced into Australia from other
cultures around the world, particularly Europe. But for most people
religious beliefs are derived from a sense of belonging-to the land, to
the sea, to other people, to one's culture.The form and
expression of spirituality differs
between Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders. Aboriginal
spirituality mainly derives from the stories of the Dreaming, while
Torres Strait Islander spirituality draws upon the stories of the Tagai.
The Dreaming has different meanings for different
Aboriginal people. It is a complex network of knowledge, faith and
practices that derive from stories of creation, and which dominates all
spiritual and physical aspects of Aboriginal life. The Dreaming sets
out the structures of society, the rules for social behaviour and the
ceremonies performed in order to maintain the life of the land. It
governed the way people lived and how they should behave.
Those who did not follow the rules were punished. The Dreamtime or
Dreaming is often used to describe the time when the earth and humans
and animals were created.
The Dreaming is also used by individuals to refer to their own dreaming
or their community's dreaming.
During the Dreaming, ancestral spirits came to
earth and created the landforms, the animals and plants. The stories
tell how the ancestral spirits moved through the land creating rivers,
lakes and mountains. Today we know the places where the ancestral
spirits have been and where they came to rest. There are explanations
of how people came to Australia and the links between the groups
throughout Australia. There are explanations about how people learnt
languages and dance and how they came to know about fire.
In essence, the Dreaming comes from the land. In
Aboriginal society people did not own the land it was part of them and
it was part of their duty to respect and look after mother earth.
The Dreaming did
not end with the arrival of
Europeans but simply entered a new phase. It is a powerful living force
that must be maintained and cared for.Dreaming
Stories
What are Dreaming Stories about?
Dreaming stories vary throughout Australia and
there are different versions on the same theme. For example the story
of how the birds got their colours is different in New South Wales and
in Western Australia.
Stories cover many themes and topics. There are
stories about creation of sacred places, landforms, people, animals and
plants. There are also stories of language or the first use of fire. In
more recent times there are stories telling of the arrival of the first
Europeans on ships or stories about trading with Macassan fisherman in
Northern Australia.
The journey of the Spirit Ancestors across the
land are recorded in Dreaming Tracks. A Dreaming track joins a number
of sites which trace the path of an Ancestral Being as it moved through
the landscape, forming its features, creating its flora and fauna and
laying down the Laws. One of these Spirit Ancestors is the Rainbow
Serpent, whose Dreaming track is shared by many Aboriginal communities
across Australia. The Rainbow Serpent is represented as a large,
snake-like creature, whose Dreaming track is always associated with
watercourses, such as billabongs, rivers, creeks and lagoons. It is the
protector of the land, its people, and the source of all life. However,
the Rainbow Serpent can also be a destructive force if it is not
properly respected.
The Rainbow Serpent is a consistent theme in
Aboriginal painting and has been found in rock art up to 6000 years
old. The Rainbow Serpent is a powerful symbol of the creative and
destructive power of nature. Most paintings of Rainbow Serpents tell
the story of the creation of the landscape particular to an artist's
birthplace. Some aspects of Rainbow Serpent stories are restricted to
initiated persons but generally, the image had been very public. Today,
most artists add personal clan designs to the bodies of Rainbow
Serpents, symbolising links between the artist and the land.
The Mimi Spirits The Mimi are tall, thin beings that live in the
rocky escarpment of northern Australia as spirits. Before the coming of
Aboriginal people they had human forms. The Mimi are generally harmless
but on occasions can be mischievous.
When Aboriginal people first came to northern
Australia, the Mimi taught them how to hunt and cook kangaroos and
other animals. They also did the first rock paintings and taught
Aboriginal people how to paint.
The Tagai.
The people throughout the Torres Strait are united by their connection
to the Tagai.
The Tagai consists of stories which are the cornerstone of Torres
Strait Islanders' spiritual beliefs.
These stories focus on the stars and identify Torres Strait Islanders
as sea people who share a common way of life. The instructions of the
Tagai provide order in the world, ensuring that everything has a place.
One Tagai story depicts the Tagai as a
man standing in a canoe. In his left hand, he holds a fishing spear,
representing the Southern Cross. In his right hand, he holds a
(a red fruit). In this story, the Tagai and his crew of 12 are
preparing for a journey. But before the journey begins, the crew
consume all the food and drink they planned to take. So the Tagai
strung the crew together in two groups of six and cast them into the
sea, where their images became star patterns in the sky. These patterns
can be seen in the star constellations of Pleiades and Orion.
Please visit www.dreamtime.net.au
for more information.
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