Hey Igor...
found one of my students essays which *may* be of help.
Thanks to Sonia for sharing this..... I owe you
To other students on this board. Whilst I cant stop you, please dont rip off this essay and call it your own...Its bad karma (and yes, my karma will run over your dogma....its an oldie but a goodie!!)
/end of legal mumbo jumbo
My opinion..a lot of the info in Ab. Spir. can be used for most of the syllabus dot points ie its all similar. It just depends on *how* you use it. From memory, the text uses Rainbow Spirit Theology etc for this dot point but the "diversity of expression" stuff is open to some interpretation if you justify it IMO
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Aboriginal Spirituality
Analyse the contribution made by aboriginal spirituality to the understanding of the nature of religious experience in Australia.
Aboriginal spirituality is the bases of personal beliefs and practices of aboriginal people and some are found in their paintings, artworks, stories, ceremonies and music. The contribution made by Aboriginal spirituality has had an enormous impact on the understanding of religious experiences in Australia. This essay is going to identify the relationship between Aboriginal spirituality and non – indigenous people and how it relates to the understanding of religious experiences in Australia. This includes analysing the formal and informal influences of aboriginal spirituality.
The formal aspects that contribute to Aboriginal Spirituality can be seen through Churches. Non – aboriginal members of the church listen to aboriginal stories form aboriginal people through music. Art, music, songs and dance can help non-indigenous people have a better understanding of Aboriginal Spirituality. This helps non – indigenous people gain a better understanding of aboriginal spirituality.
The informal aspects that contribute to Aboriginal Spirituality can also be seen through Aboriginal guest speakers at school assemblies, church services and through Scriptures and religion classes. For example Marie Milto came to talk to religion classes about her life experience as an aboriginal. Aboriginal guest speakers have given an insight to non – indigenous people about Aboriginal spirituality and their beliefs. Aboriginal spirituality can also be portrayed through school subjects such as art classes. Creative expressions can be depicted through aboriginal artworks so that non – indigenous people can get a better understanding of their culture.
The 2000 Olympic games broadened appreciation of aboriginal spirituality and the religious experiences in Australia. The open ceremony acknowledged the significance of the ancient lands of indigenous culture. Recognition of aboriginal belief systems is growing and has now increased the understanding issues that are relevant to Spirituality. When the Olympic touch came to Australia it arrived at Uluru. This rock is from great Spiritual significance to indigenous Australians and non-indigenous Australians. The open ceremony for the Olympic games included many traditional indigenous symbols and rituals such as dances and songs.
The impact on Australian society today has appreciated the contribution of aboriginal spirituality to life on this continent. Some ways in which people can experience this is through eating nutritional indigenous foods such as "bush tucker", by visiting national parks and appreciating wildlife, ecology and flora that indigenous Australians show in the management and running of national parks, and by caring for the land. This helps us appreciate aboriginal spirituality through the use of their traditional beliefs.
Other ways in which people gain an enhanced experience of religion in Australia through aboriginal spirituality are the acknowledgment of sacred sites and the appreciation of indigenous music. The Aboriginal council and a school executive from Mt Annan Public School have come to a covenant that one fifth of the school covers an Aboriginal site with deep buried artefacts which are now protected from development. Their playground has a special protective mat and turf
Aboriginal people talk about spirituality and about love for their country. As people in the wider Australian community listen to their music their compelled to think about spiritual issues that are expressed through their songs. In today’s society musicians have taken up aboriginal issues which are expressed through their songs for example Midnight oil who’s current single is Truganini which rises awareness to non – indiginous Australians about spirituality issues. The lyrics to this song deals with the problems of contemporary white Australians and their need for change as aboriginals suffered from abdication of their land, murder and abuse.
Aboriginal Art can also contribute to the understanding of Australians. Aboriginal artists want to inform and educate others about aboriginal connections with the land and country. Aboriginal art and its connection with the land provides a powerful religious experience. It gives meaning to non – indigenous people and tells us stories about aboriginals and their culture. Aboriginal artists feel that paintings can give a comprehensive overview about aboriginals and develop an understanding of their traditional beliefs. For example the painting of the snake has many stories to tell about aboriginals, as it is a way of expressing the Dreamtime.
In conclusion these Aboriginal influences can then lead to a deeper understanding of aboriginal spirituality and the nature of religious experiences in Australia. Aboriginal elders have recognised the enormous destruction that alcohol was causing to their communities. They asked the United Church Nation Assembly to consider asking parishes to not use alcohol in communion. This would be a guesture of solidary with church leaders in troubled Aboriginal communities. Consequently, since 1984, United Church parishes have used grape juice in communion. This shows that aboriginals have had a major impact on non – indigenous people to the understanding of religious experiences in Australia. Another contribution that Aboriginals have made to the understanding of religious experiences in Australia is the acknowledgment of the Dreaming rituals. Aboriginal people were given back the right to traditional burials and cremations such as allowing a body to be put in a sacred site or cremated in an open – air pyre.
Australian Spirituality has an increasing openness to aboriginal belief systems. There are other features of Aboriginal spirituality that are coming to be appreciated more and more, both in the wider Australian community and internationally. They include reverence of the land and a holistic approach to life. This essay has demonstrated and analysed to they ways in which aboriginal Spirituality values, attitudes and practices have been expressed through the understanding of the nature of religious experiences in Australia despite the loss of their land and culture. Aboriginal people have a spiritual gift to offer Australians to develop their understanding of spiritual identity.
Indigenous Australians are enthusiastic to participate in broadening the understanding of religious experiences in Australia. Their willingness to help people understand about artists and their community allows "non – indigenous" people to understand a little more about aboriginal culture.
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Living Religion (I think) has some good stuff on this but some of students said some of the better stuff was actually from the Ab. Studies course notes at CSU's hsc online.
I do have a handout on this topic from a conference I went to but I have not had time to scan it (its about 8 pages long...)
Hope this is of some help...
SH
