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Religion and Belief Systems in Australia post- 1945 Syllabus Point 5 Markers Discuss how Aboriginal spirituality is determined by the Dreaming The Dreaming encompasses all aspects of Aboriginal spirituality, dictating their concept of creation. The Dreaming is a sacred source for the Aboriginals as it contains all laws, ethics, and morals of a tribe, which teaches both the individuals and the community the ways in which one should behave and treat the environment. The Aboriginals have an inextricable link to the land and share a symbiotic relationship, which provides them with all necessities for living and in return, the people have specific obligations to care for the land. Kinships groups are the networks of relationships governing interactions between individuals in the community, providing a structure, which offers an individuals a sense of belonging to a greater whole. Kinship is determined by both familial relationships and an individuals totem, which links Aboriginal communities to a particular animal, rock formation, flora species, which is the representation of an ancestral spirit being, reinforcing a connection with Ancestral Beings, land and the Dreaming. Ceremonial life is performed on the land and is a physical and public expression of the dreaming and it directly links the Aboriginals to the Ancestral Beings that inhabit the land. The land is a physical realm medium through which the Dreaming is lived and communicated through expressionistic vehicles such as song, dance and art.

Discuss the continuing effect of dispossession on Aboriginal Spiritualities In order to understand the effect of dispossession it is important understand the inextricable link that aboriginals have with their land. The land is the context of the Dreaming and is what connects the Aboriginal people to the Ancestral beings. Thus, when the people were dispossessed of their land, they were consequently denied access to their spirituality, the very thing hat provided Aboriginals with purpose and dignity. The land connected the people to their kinship groups; ceremonial life and thus, they lost most of their connection to the land. Furthermore, through the policy of Assimilation and Integration, the Stolen Generation separated and broke down families and kinship groups. Additionally, the Stolen Generation had the effect of stripping children of their land, language and cultural ties. The trauma experienced by those ‘stolen’ has had a detrimental effect that still effects people, as did the dispossession of the land. Today 70% of Aboriginals have converted to Christianity, as a result of their lost culture and faith. Furthermore, adolescent Aboriginal boys have one of the highest suicidal rates in the world’s and the communities suffer from excessive alcoholism, all as a continuing affect of dispossession.

Discuss the continuing effect of dispossession on Aboriginal Spiritualities in relation to separation from the land. Upon the arrival of White European invasion in 1788, the Aborigines were forcibly dispossessed from their land, taken to missionaries or adopted into white homes where they were forced to disregard their cultural identity and sacrifice their unique spirituality in pursuit of Christianity, the dominant European religion. The Assimilation Policy sanctioned this in the 1950.s The Aboriginal people have an inextricable link to their land, and by removing them from their land subsequently they lost all access to the sacred sites, which the Ancestral Beings inhabit, leading to a loss of connection to their history, rituals and thus their spirituality. In the early 1990s The Land Rights Movements saw the Aborigines battle to gain back access to their land and

subsequently Aboriginals. For example, the Native Title Act recognised the rightful custodians of the land and stated that Aboriginals could now claim back their land once belonging to them.

Discuss the continuing effect of dispossession on Aboriginal Spiritualities in relation to separation from Kinship groups. The kinship groups are an integral part of Aboriginal spirituality. It is impossible to detach the individual from the winder community, or his/her Dreaming family. However, the dispossession from the land meant the inevitable breakdown of the kinship system as tribes and individuals were isolated from their ancestral territory and the knowledge that had formerly unified groups were referring to the same land as ‘my country’. As a result of relocating, the kinship groups were destroyed, including familial breakdown, cultural ties to their spirituality and the obligations to the land, which provided the Aboriginals with a symbiotic relationship. The close proximity of separate tribes caused conflict that destroyed an aboriginal’s identity and self-esteem. No longer could they unite with their Dreaming family in ceremonies and rites, continue with the system on reciprocal obligations and expectations. An Aboriginal finds their sense of identity through their natural totems, however through prohibiting conducting ritual with totems and separating Aboriginals from the land, they experienced spiritual disintegration. Although this rupture in Aboriginal history meant a loss of spirituality for most, the Dreaming is still alive in some areas and some may still identify with a totem.

Discuss the continuing effect of dispossession on Aboriginal Spiritualities in relation to the Stolen Generations. The Ethnocentricity of the Australian Government’s Assimilation Policy brought about the Stolen Generations, whereby White Australian authorities forcibly removed Aboriginal children from their families, to be rained ‘White’. Through the removal of the children, subsequently they were unable to learn and maintain traditional beliefs of the Dreaming. Furthermore, these children were maltreated suffered from sexual exploitation and humiliation that the Aboriginal community has never fully recovered from. Some commenters have called the policies that brought about the Stolen Generation a form of ‘cultural genocide; and a collective ‘rape of the soul’. Today, Aborigines are nearly three times more likely to suffer from lifestyle diseases such as alcoholism or diabetes; unemployment is six times higher than the national average; and indigenous people are dramatically over-represented in correctional facilities. As outcasts they lost their culture, identity, language and expressions of spirituality (song and dance) and often converted to Christianity The dislocation of Aboriginal people from their traditional lands led to the burden of not being able to fulfil the ritual responsibilities in relation to the land.

Analyse the importance of the Dreaming for the Land Rights Movement The Dreaming and the land are inextricably linked and the Aboriginal people share a symbiotic relationship with the land as the land provides all necessities for living. The land is the root of spirituality and enables the Aboriginals to physically express their religious tradition. The Land Rights Movement saw the battle by Aboriginals to reclaim their Dreaming and spirituality. In 1965 Charles Perkins and 30 other Aboriginals joined together in the ‘Freedom Riders’ and travelled throughout NSW to raise awareness of the discrimination and injustice cause by the ‘White Australia Policy’ and sought to claim back their rites. Though the Land Rights Movement is both political and religious, it secured the inherent rights to the land to preserve and rebuild Aboriginal religious and cultural identity, as the land is at the heart of the Dreaming.

Explain the Relationship between the Dreaming and the Land Rights Movement. In order to understand the importance of the Land Rights movement, it must be understood that Aboriginals have an inextricable link to the land, as land and all it inhabits is at the core of the Dreaming. Therefore, when the Aboriginal peoples were disposed of their land, they were consequently denied the ability to practise their religious obligations and practices, as all things that make up their traditions are tied to the land. This includes the breakdown of kinship groups and the inability to practice a ceremonial life and most importantly, the inability to access the Ancestor spirits. Thus, the land Rights movement is the Aboriginals quest to reposes their land, their cultural rights, and in turn, their spirituality. What started out as a petition written on bark by the Yirkala people in an attempt to gain ownership of their land, resulted in the overthrowing of terra-nullius in 1992 as a result of the MABO decision of the High Court. White invasion brought about a number of policies, laws and evangelism that all impacted on the crumbling of the Aboriginal religion. The land Rights movement is what brought light to this issue, in the search of the Aboriginal Indigenous peoples rights to Access to the land, rightfully theirs.

How have religious traditions in Australia given support to the process of Reconciliation in Australia? White invasion saw the dispossession of the Aboriginal people from their land, which consequently denied them of the ability to practice their religious obligations and traditions as all things tied to Aboriginal religion are tied to the land. Reconciliation is the term given to the process whereby Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the non-Indigenous citizens of Australia can move into the future with a new relationship based on mutual recognition, acceptance, understanding and respect. As a result of the long standing relationship between Christianity and Aboriginal people, and the fact that Christianity accounts for 68% of the Aboriginal population, other religions have not had as significant an impact on the process of reconciliation, however they have made their own contributions. Islamic leaders in Australia have been vocal in their support for the Land Rights Movement and statistics indicate that over 1000 Indigenous Australians are followers of Islam. The Jewish Board of Deputies has a program that goes into Aboriginal Communities to teach them how to cook, read etc. through experience. In relation to Christianity, as well, the ecumenical movement known as the National Council of Churches in Australia has devised a project called ‘Youth Service for Reconciliation’. This project is concerned with “at risk” Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and aims to speak to and act on the needs of those in crisis. While the path to Australia’s Reconciliation with its Indigenous people is still ongoing there is still the support and contribution of many religious traditions

Evaluate the importance of Interfaith Dialogue in multi-faith Australia Interfaith dialogue refers to the cooperation and positive interaction between adherents of different religious traditions. This dialogue aims to provide greater understanding between religious groups and to promote tolerance and acceptance. The religious landscape of Australia is one that is multi-facetted, home to many different faiths and religions ranging from Christianity to Judaism to Muslim to Aboriginality. Thus, the assurance that such religions can co-exist in the peaceful country that is Australia, is of great importance. The ‘Affinity Intercultural Foundation’ was set up by a group of Muslims in 2001 to strengthen ties with the non-Muslim communities in Australia and to promote a better understanding of Islam in the promotion of acceptance. Furthermore, in an increasing secularised world, an increasing number of people are separating themselves from institutionalised, traditional religions. However, interfaith dialogue works to have the inverse effect as it strengthens religious affiliations and ties

amongst other religions. There is a concept of different religions engaging together in dialogue, interrelations and debate in the quest for social justice; this is an aspect of interfaith dialogue. For example, today non-Christian religions who are apposing the Abbot Government together, Jews Muslims and Hindus alike in their quest to retain Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act is an example of this, working to full effect.

Describe the impact of Christian Ecumenical Movements in Australia Ecumenical movements in Australia bind churches together on doctrinal matters which foster mutual respect and acceptance, necessary to retain the strength of Christianity and combat secularisation by ‘uniting’ and acting together. In 1977, The Uniting Church of Australia formed to include Congregationalists, Methodists and Presbyterians, allowing for the pooling together of resources and commonalities (I.e. prayer, missionary etc.) which creates a sense of unity, builds trusts and instil faith back into the Christian community. The Uniting Church is known to be one of the most significant ecumenical events in Australia, and is now the third largest Christian denomination. Another example of ecumenism is the National Council of Churches (Anglicans, Catholics and Lutherans). This is a council, which, in 2004, created a document proposing 5 dimensions of common commitments, once again instilling an importance of unity and shared resources. Additionally, the NCCA also unites on issues of social injustice; such like the NCCA’s project that seeks to aid “at risk” teens on Aboriginal societies, in an attempt to lead them toward a better way of life, without stripping them on their religion.

Account for the differences in religious adherence in Australia Post 1945 Whilst Christianity has remained the dominant religion in Australia, the numbers of such have decreased significantly. In 1945, after World Was II, an influx of Christian immigrants, ranging from Italian/Roman Catholics to Greek Orthodox made their way into Australia, adding to the denominational diversity of Christianity. However, after the Holocaust, Jewish survivors made their way into Australia from all over Europe. Furthermore, after Prime Minister Gough Whitlam abolished the ‘White Australia Policy’ in 1972, Australia saw its ethic diversity extend even more. This led to Muslim immigrants from Afghanistan to Somalia, Hindus from India and Buddhists. The growth of these religions in Australia consequently decreased the numbers of Christians. However, post WW2 attitudes that lost faith in God, the disillusionment of the 60’s and 70’s and the rise of modernity increased the concept of secularisation and individualism. Thus, New Age religions emerged and people found it no longer morally necessary to belong to a traditional religion, or identity....