2.2.2
Explaining creation — the Dreaming
SkillBuilder discussion Historical questions 1. What does the Dreaming ‘tell us’? 2. Where have the stories come from? 3. Why were real events made into stories?
SOURCE2 From Regina McKenzie, Towards a New Dreaming
Dreaming tells us about our history and where we came from. These stories are real events from long ago. They are made into stories so children can understand them better.
The Dreaming informs how different Aboriginal Peoples live and work together. It highlights the deep connections between people, their land and the Dreaming. A person’s birthplace, family and cultural group determine their connection to Country. The Dreaming is hard to translate into English because it is unique to Aboriginal Peoples’ cultures. Each
language group has its own words for the Dreaming. For example, it is known as: • Ungud by the Ngarinyin Peoples of the Kimberley region in Western Australia • Wongar by the Yolngu Peoples of northeast Arnhem Land.
Many Aboriginal Peoples believe their ancestors have always been part of Australia. Their Dreaming stories explain that people and the land have always been connected. These stories say that people have been here since the very beginning and that they did not come from South-East Asia during the Ice Age. The Dreaming stories and science both show how Aboriginal Peoples are connected to their land. Scientists who study old remains and DNA find that their work matches what the Dreaming says about people and Country. 2.2.3 Everywhen The connection between the Dreaming, Country and time is known to Aboriginal Peoples as Everywhen . Everywhen expresses time as a cycle of life, where the past, present and future exist together. It is through Everywhen that the Dreaming, the time of the powerful spirit ancestors, continues to shape Country and life. The Dreaming and Everywhen connects the spiritual, natural and human worlds. Everywhen continues to be expressed through ritual, stories, songs and traditions. 2.2.4 The songlines Over thousands of years, a complex trade and communication network developed, stretching hundreds of kilometres and connecting many groups. The paths used for travel and trade are called Dreaming tracks or songlines. These tracks follow the journeys of Dreaming ancestors and are marked by features like water holes, hills and rivers. People remembered these paths through songs, known as songlines. As the ancestral beings travelled across Australia, they created landmarks and named the land’s features. For example, the Rainbow Serpent, called ‘Jarapiri’ in northern and central Australia, laid eggs that became the big round rocks called Karlu Karlu (formerly known as Devil’s Marbles). The Serpent’s movements made rivers and waterholes. Songlines recorded the routes of ancestral beings’ creation journeys. These Dreaming tracks served as maps, giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples a detailed mental picture of their land and its creatures.
TOPIC2 Deep Time to modern era 21
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