LESSON 2.6 What is connection to Country and kin?
LEARNING INTENTION By the end of this lesson you should be able to recognise the images and symbols of the kinship systems and totems guiding the daily and ceremonial life of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Tune in Look at the SOURCE1 image of totems. The story shows the Manarrngu mourning ceremony for Gurrumarringu, a great hunter who died from a snakebite. The kangaroo and goanna are the animals he hunted. Totems are animals, plants or objects that people and groups must take care of. They show special qualities and help protect the environment because people must look after their totems.
SOURCE1 A bark painting by David Malangi, 1966, called Totems of the Manarrngu, Mortuary Rites , shows a file snake on the left, a water goanna over a kangaroo in the centre, and a tree on the right.
1. What qualities or strengths do you think are represented by the SOURCE 1 totems? 2. Discuss the animal totem you would feel lucky to have if you could choose one. 3. Explain why you picked this totem and what qualities it shows.
2.6.1 Kinship In Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ communities, kinship is very important. Kinship is a system that shows how people are related and what their roles are. Kinship is linked to spiritual beliefs because Dreaming ancestors are seen as family and everyone is connected to the land. Three levels of kinship exist: moiety, totem and skin names. • People in the same moiety are like siblings: They cannot marry and must support each other. Everything, including plants, animals, belongs to a moiety. Moieties are placed into two groups, usually based on the mother’s or father’s family line, balancing each other in ceremonies and daily life. • Totems are shared between moieties to maintain balance: A totem shows a person’s identity and role in the community. People can have multiple totems for their nation, family and self. Totems are spiritual symbols given at birth to connect people with their Country, including its plants, sky, water and spirits.
36 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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