The Dreaming: Aboriginal Associated Cultural Beliefs And Practices

The Dreaming

The Dreaming is both the past, present and future and is an eternal and continuing process. The Dreaming connects all aspects of traditional Aboriginal associated cultural beliefs and practices, it tells of the world’s creation; the flora and fauna; of human evolution; and everything else on Mother Earth, including the Law, by supernatural spirits known as Ancestral Beings (Stanner, 2011).

The term ‘the Dreaming’ is an attempt at translating the complex concept from the variety of local and regional terms into an English term. Each language group or nation has its own name for the Dreaming. In the rainforest area around Kuranda, Queensland, Bulurru is used by the Djabugay for the term the Dreaming; in the Kimberley region of

The stories teach who can marry and what punishment is appropriate if laws are disobeyed, and when this should occur (AIATSIS, n.d.).

Knowing who you are able to interact with and the laws of that language group is vital in Aboriginal culture. This is why the teachings of the Dreaming stories are so important to pass through the

Created by the Ancestral Beings and passed on to generations through the Dreaming stories, laws are unquestioned by children as they grow up in the community (Fryer-Smith, 2008, p. 2:25). The laws provide common understandings relating to land, language, ways of living, kinship, relationships and identity. There is no difference in Aboriginal culture between the spiritual and physical universes therefore Law governs both of these planes.

A resolution to disputes are always sought as arguments are not conducive to the group’s harmony (Elkin, 1976, p. 62). Elders and family members are usually involved to assist with the resolution. Many offences to Aboriginal customary law were strict liability offences (Fryer-Smith, 2008, p. 2:8:3).

Punishment of offences usually took place in the form or ‘payback’ ¬– avenging the wrongdoing and retribution for someone who was disadvantaged. Depending on the offence, punishment varied from shaming or ridicule to banishment, spearing or death. The status, sex, history of the offender and conduct of the victim are all taken into consideration when determining the punishment. Once a punishment was served, ideally that was the end of the matter. In some cases, ‘blood fueds’ were established as the punishment was seen as retaliation rather than