A CULTUREQUEST ON ABORIGINAL TOOLS AND CULTURE

AUSTRALIA		ABORIGINAL FLAG

Aboriginal people are indigenous to Australia. It is believed that their settlement goes back approximately 50,000 years. Indigenous people are those who settle within a state prior to colonization and are not part of the general society of an established nation. Indigenous people were often thought of as being uncivilized or barbaric.

The Aborigines of Australia are very spiritual people who are skilled in living off of natural resources of the land where they live. Even though technology has brought advancement to the world, this culture has not really adapted to these changes. There are many different tribes of Aboriginals that speak different dialects of language. The man in the picture above is part of the Anangu people of Central Australia. The local language of this tribe is Pitjantjatjara.

The laws, philosophy, and moral code they live by are passed on verbally and through their art. This system is referred to in their language as Tjukurpa.

Traditional foods of the Aboriginal people include seasonal fruits, local nuts, roots, vegetables, wild meat and fish. They use plants for medicinal and healing purposes.

The Aboriginal People have many sacred sites within Australia where they perform ceremonial rituals, create art, and tell stories of ancestors.

Uluru is one of these sacred sites located in Uluru-Katatjuta National Park. I had the good fortune of taking an Aboriginal guided tour of it during my visit to Australia this past fall.

Uluru is located in Central Australia and has been given back to the Aboriginal people who go by the name of Anangu. Uluru is a monolith that stands alone and has a path around it that can be walked or driven. This rock formation contains Anangu caves filled with artwork. There are certain parts that are so sacred that the Anangu people prefer outsiders not to walk there and signs are posted to this effect. There are also signs prohibiting picture and videotaking within the park and visitors are expected to honor this mandate. This monolith is breathtaking. It changes color throughout the day and the evening. Sunrise at Uluru, depending on the weather, can be very colorful. I was fortunate enough to be at Uluru for sunrise, however, it was a cloudy day which gave the rock a grey appearance. I was told that if it had been sunny the rock would have appeared much more beautiful. In the evening, at sunset, Uluru turns a very deep red much like the earth that surrounds it.

For anyone who visits this absolutely magnificent place an Aboriginal tour is highly recommended. An Aboriginal guide will show you how to throw a spear, the different types of tools they use, how to make the oldest form of glue from seeds of a local plant, how they make bowls and their uses, and share stories and values of the Aboriginal Culture.

Their core belief of living with nature is still applied. They make their tools from different types of trees and wood that nature provides. Stone and crystal are some of the resources used to create sharp edged tools. Since the Aboriginal people lived off of the land, they used tools for a specific purpose and there are different variations of the same tool depending on its use.

You will be seeing and hearing about the spear, boomerang, and the bowls and baskets used in this primitive culture.

Created by

Debra Lustberg Ed Calderon, 

Rob P. Orchanian Peter Horn