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The Most Intriguing Facts About Aboriginal Culture
The Aboriginal people are one of two indigenous people groups of Australia, the other being the Torres Strait Islanders. This particular cultural group is known to be the only indigenous people group in the world to have fully adapted their indigenous practices of hunting and gathering into the modern 21st century.
Scholars generally believe that the Aboriginal people came from Asia via the islands of Southeast Asia about 45,000 to 50,000 years ago. However, scientists believe that early human settlement in Australia was as early as 65,000 to 80,000 years ago.
Throughout the modern era, Aboriginals and people of that culture have been marginalized and dispossessed by early European settlers. However, there is more to the indigenous people of Australia than what meets the eye.
Here are the seven most intriguing facts about this unique and ancient culture.
The Oldest Culture In The World
The culture is known to be the oldest in the world. The survival of this culture can highly be attributed to the people's adaptability to change. The ancient population has preserved their culture through embracing indigenous art, songs, and ancestral spirits.
What makes the indigenous Aboriginal people and their culture unique is that they were the first people to migrate from the African continent. Their genome sequence shows that their descendants left Africa more than 75,000 years ago, making them the first group to be genetically isolated from the rest of the world.
They have maintained a vibrant culture infused with languages, art, music, and songs despite colonial interference, making the indigenous group the oldest continuously surviving civilization globally.
The Oldest Form Of Art In The World
Aboriginal rock art in the form of paintings and engravings found in various archeological sites across Australia are dated as far back as millions of years by scientists and archeologists.
Red ochre, the primary color agent in Dreaming art depictions and rock paintings, is a natural pigment found in soil. The pigment is also primarily used as body paint in traditional ceremonies and rituals. The red ochre is a symbol of indigenous Aboriginal culture and heritage. Ochres are a highly valued commodity in Australia and are often commonly traded amongst the indigenous people.
Outside of painting, the native Australian community has preserved other forms of indigenous art. One such artifact is the famous Aboriginal boomerang. The curved throwing stick embodies ornate indigenous designs. The boomerang is seen as a symbol of the endurance of the iconic and ancient culture.
The culture restricted the use of the boomerang to men while women were allocated tasks of restoration work and gathering food.
Hundred Of Unique Languages
According to the National Indigenous Languages Survey, there were over 250 languages that existed in Australia when colonial settlers arrived. However, the actual number of indigenous languages remains unknown.
Throughout the years, over 100 of these languages have become unspoken. Today only 20 indigenous Aboriginal languages are spoken by all indigenous groups of Australia; this number includes the Torres Strait Islanders and other indigenous people groups of Australia.
Indigenous Aboriginals have no written language. The people use traditional icons or symbols found in rock art, paintings, stories, and songs to translate the unique culture into today's narratives.
The Land Is Considered Sacred
The land is essential to the fundamental well-being of the indigenous community. The community does not limit the land to geographical features such as mountains, rocks, and minerals; instead, the land represents the holistic interaction of humans and nature.
Aboriginals believe that ancestral beings traveled across the land, establishing sacred landmarks, geographical features, and spiritual shrines dedicated to upholding the culture.
Australian English Borrows Hundreds Of Aboriginal Words
Today there are over 400 indigenous Aboriginal words used in Australian English. Words such as kangaroo, koala, and boomerang originate from approximately 80 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.
Most of the borrowed words were from languages spoken in areas closest to the settlers. The Dharuk or Dharug language, spoken in areas around modern-day Sydney, provided many of the borrowed words.
The Dreamtime Or Dreaming
The Dreamtime, also known as Dreaming, refers to the complex understanding of the indigenous Aboriginal communities' belief of how their ancestral spirits created the world.
The indigenous people believe that spiritual beings created rivers, mountains, rocks, plants, and animals.
They also firmly hold nature above humans. The community believes that various ancestral spirits transcend into nature and live amongst them as trees, rivers, and other living organisms.
The rainbow serpent is an adored ancestral spirit. The serpent is iconic and revered as the god of creation. Aboriginal communities believe that the serpent is responsible for providing water, land, and life to the world.
The Aboriginals use traditional dot paintings to translate and preserve their Dreamtime folklore and stories.
The Culture Is Passed On Through Stories And Songs
Aboriginal cultural knowledge is passed down generations through folklore, songs, and rituals. Their deep spiritual belief system, Dreamtime or Dreaming, embodies these cultural practices.
Aboriginal elders are upheld as custodians of the indigenous culture. They are responsible for keeping their culture and heritage alive. The elders do this by telling folklore and stories to new generations of Aboriginals.
The elders are also responsible for overseeing the practice of various indigenous ceremonies. Indigenous Aboriginals communities firmly believe in upholding their native dance, coming-of-age, and marital rituals as a passage of direct spiritual connection to their ancestors.
However, age alone is the determining factor for being an elder. An elder by determination is a person who is well-versed with the culture, traditions, and heritage of the indigenous people. Aboriginal elders are traditionally referred to as "Uncle" and "Aunty" as a sign of respect to custodians of the Aboriginal culture.
The Aboriginal culture is elaborate and anchored in colorful rituals, ornate paintings, and the preservation of nature as its spiritual guide. However, they are not confined to the outback of Australian territories. As far back as 2006, an estimation of approximately 30% of Aboriginals lived in major cities.