Slide 1Slide 2Slide 3Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Slide 8Slide 9Slide 10Slide 11Slide 12Slide 13Slide 14Slide 15Slide 16Slide 17Slide 18Slide 19Slide 20Slide 21Slide 22Slide 23Slide 24Slide 25Slide 26Slide 27Slide 28Slide 29Slide 30Slide 31Slide 32Slide 33Slide 34“They say we have been here for 40,000 years, but it has been much longer than that……We have been here since time began.”Hunters and Gatherers HorticultureSmaller number of people in a given group (40)10 percent of these societies were found to have permanent settlementsThere was no specialization found within occupationsMinimal belief in godLarger number of people depending on advancement (1,000-5,000)94 percent of these societies have permanent settlements1-7% had specializationMinimal belief in god•The rate of population is low (scholars estimate that 15-50% of births end in infanticide)•Nomadic people (usually return to a former campsite)•Based around kinship ties (in fact, particularly for Australian aboriginal groups, a man can define his relations to every person with anyone he has social dealings with)•Two types of groups: nuclear and extended families, which is important when a family is having trouble providing food•Usually have a headman and a shaman (medicine man), but other than that no occupational specialties•Minimal inequality in power and privilege, because differences in wealth are very minor (almost egalitarian), personal characteristics are very importantArrernte People are a group of tribes residing in Central AustraliaSeveral sub-groups: Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern, and North-easternHunter and Gathershttp://aboriginalart.com.au/culture/arrernte.html#Lived in the same area for 40,000 years1880’s first contact with White Settlers1890’s displaced 120 km West of Alice SpringsThroughout 1960’s and 1970’s slowly regained traditional lands, recognition, and rights from the government•Currently 35000 Arrernte •Tribal numbers are in flux and estimates vary •Reside in family groups of 15-30 called bands•Territories are fixed, and tribes have never encroached on each other•Relatively high infant mortality rate, compared to Western Cultures•Lower standard of living and life expectancy relative to Industrialized countriesIn Indigenous Australian groups, the family encompasses many peopleAll adults care for and educate all childrenChildren learn to understand their social and natural environment through storiesAdult aborigines use every opportunity to teach all of the tribe’s children about their history and how to behaveMen were the hunters of “Hunter-gatherers”, bringing in 20-40% of foodBoys began initiation into manhood at ~7-8 through education, independence, pain enduranceBoys followed older males to learn their roles in the societyWomen gathered 60-80 % of the tribes’ foodWomen took primary care of all children No initiation for girls; married at puberty and moved into husband’s familyWomen taught girls through ceremonies: ritual bathing, temporary separation from the tribe, and food taboos.Like most ATSI groups, the Arrernte were nomadic, and lived in bandsNo permanent home (temporary huts)No (official) stratification of societyInformal laws, came from DreamtimeSemi-“Egalitarian” organization: informal leadership/decision-making processElders were respected and obeyedIt is the history, culture, religion, and identity of Indigenous AustraliansStories about creation, animal spirits who created the land, history of ATSI peopleBelief in magical potions, spells Deep attachment to their land, which was created for them during the DreamtimeDeath was mourned elaborately, then deceased was never mentioned againUsed to educate childrenOral illustrations of the DreamtimePerformed in religious ceremonies with song and danceMen hunted large animalsWomen and children gathered fruits and plants Bush tuckerMoved around to prevent over hunting and harvestingVery diverse dietHigh knowledge of plants, animals, and seasonsGround mosaicsRock engravingsExtensive use of symbolsInstruments include the Didgeridoo, clapping sticks, and rattlesTraditional ceremonial songs handed down through generationsDepict events from the DreamtimeSongs often used to overcome language barriers• Arrernte is part of the Arandic group of the Pama-Nyungan languages, and is spoken by about 3,000 people in central Australia, particularly in Alice Springs (2). • One of the strongest surviving Aboriginal languages as a result of the isolation of the Arrernte-speaking areas (1).• One of the most common misconceptions about the Arrernte language is that its seen as “primitive” when in fact, the grammatical systems are far more complex than in English (4).• The main vocabulary reflects the cultural interests of the social group which speaks it (2). • Greater number of words in everyday use to describe kinship terms and aspects of the natural world (5). • Highly diversified vocabulary in specialized areas such as parts of animals, noises, seed types, various stages of development, and other natural phenomena (5).Before the arrival of European settlers, the presence of the Arrernte language was strongly felt on the Austrailian continent (3).Assimilation of native cultures lead to the slow decline of Arrernte as well as hundreds of other Aboriginal languages (3).As the Arrernte language dies out, so do irreplaceable parts of their culture and folklore (5).Many who live in areas such as Alice Springs struggle to keep their language alive as little aid is delivered by the Austrailian government (3). ◦Arrernte is the first language learned by those in the Alice Springs area. English is often the second learned language (4). ◦Arrernte is also required in the workplace to cater the native speakers in Alice Springs (4).Federation 1901The Stolen Generation 1869 - 1967 (the removal ended at this stage)◦In 1937 the commonwealth conference on ‘native welfare’ adopts assimilation as the national policy;“The destiny of the natives of Aboriginal origin, but not of the full blood, lies in ultimate absorption by the people