Aboriginal people have lived in the vast region of Gippsland for tens of thousands of years and the ancient culture of the local Gunaikurnai people lives on today. The Gunai or Kurnai, often now referred to as the Gunaikurnai, is an Indigenous Australian nation of south-east Australia whose territory occupies most of present-day Gippsland and much of the southern slopes of the Victorian Alps. The Gunaikurnai nation is composed of five major clans. Many of the Gunaikurnai people resisted early European squatting and subsequent settlement during the nineteenth century, resulting in a number of deadly confrontations between Europeans and the Gunaikurnai. There are about 3,000 Gunaikurnai people alive today, predominantly living in Gippsland.{1} …show more content…
Krowathunkooloong Keeping Place is a museum housing a vast collection of artifacts, art and information where visitors can learn about the history, heritage and culture of Aboriginal East Gippsland.
The displays feature shields with traditional markings, boomerangs, bark canoes, grass baskets, videos and an exhibition of contemporary aboriginal art. Importantly the Keeping Place provides testament to the incredible wealth of culture, heritage and tradition that abounds across the lands of the Gunnai/Kurnai people of Gippsland. It highlights the significant, yet often ignored history of this country, dating back for many thousands of generations. The Kurnai launched a native title claim in 1997 following on from the successful Mabo native title case of 1992. On 22 October 2010 the case was settled in the Federal Court under the Native Title Act (1993). The Court recognised the Gunaikurnai as traditional owners, and found that they held native title over much of Gippsland. Based on these findings the Victorian Government entered into an agreement with the Gunaikurnai on the same day, the first agreement reached under the Traditional Owner Settlement Act (2010). It provides the opportunity to raise awareness and understanding of the true history, and the true value of Australia's Indigenous
cultures. The Keeping Place also provides local artefacts such as Shell middens and canoe trees, Dreamtime stories and the opportunity to learn about the traditional lifestyles of the first inhabitants of the region, from the sacred land now known as Wilsons Promontory National Park and the Krowathunkaloong Keeping Place in Bairnsdale as well as the Cape Conron, Metung and Ninety Mile Beach. These facilities provide educators with vast knowledge of activities and customs that can be implemented within the child care service. Such activities can include: -Bush tucker: provide experiences in learning about traditional bush foods. - Dream time story telling: This provides opportunities for students to study Dreaming stories and learn more about how these stories are presented in Aboriginal culture. -Animals: how one animal can have different names and meaning eg. The Willy Wag tail bird aboriginal meaning is Djinta Djinta witch is derived from the sound in which it makes.
Within the Hornsby Shire there are more than 900 landmarks and indicators of the occurrence of an Aboriginal settlement as a result from the local tribe, the Guringai people. A major place of significance is through the up keeping and findings within the ‘Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.’ “Sir Henry Copeland (Australian Politician) named this location after the Aboriginal tribe whilst chase is an English word meaning an enclose land where animals were kept for hunting” (Hornsby Shire Council, n.d.) Throughout the landmark Aboriginal paintings, carvings, engravings, middens...
Their main vision is to empower the idea of a shared country and encourage opportunities for growth. With the perplexed requirements set out by the Native Title Act, this tribunal has helped claimants by providing legal aid to increase the chances of regaining lost land. For example, the Wik Peoples v Queensland (1996) 187 CLR 1 case was successful in recognising the lost land of the Wik people of Cape York. “They claimed native title over land that had previously been leased by the State Government to farmers for pastoral use” (Woodgate, Black, Biggs & Owens, 2011, p.354). The court then decided by a 4:3 majority that pastoral leases did not necessarily extinguish native title. This means that, in some cases, native title rights will co-exist with the rights of the pastoralists. Therefore, through progression and more native title cases heard, the laws surrounding the Native Title Act will adapt to further assist the Indigenous Australians in reclaiming their land. For instance, the processes surrounding Native Title issues are constantly being refined. As more and more people and political parties become aware of this process, the easier court litigation will become (Dow, 2002)
An issue facing society is whether the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), is sufficient in balancing the rights of Indigenous Australians and the rights of current land owners. To determine whether legislation is sufficient and fair, an investigation into the current societal view points needs to be considered by legislators, with an evaluation into the ways in which other societies cater to the needs of Indigenous land owners should be made. This information then allows recommendations and changes to be debated, to therefore to ensure more equitable legislation on land rights within Australia.
This strategy of developing a relationship with Aboriginal communities can be seen as one of the most important strategies in the regards to the realisation of meeting 1.1.2 (NSW DET 2008). These learning partnerships have been proven to be beneficial to the community on the whole, not only “giving credibility and integrity to the teaching of Aboriginal students and syllabus content related to Aboriginal issues” (NSW BOS 2008, p. 2) but also builds pride and confidence within the Indigenous parents and therefore their community. The NSW BOS (2008, p. 2) goes on to say that for a school to provide authentic experiences, skills and knowledge in context to Aboriginal studies; they must consult Aboriginal people. The AETP (NSW DET 2008) believe that consultation with Aboriginal communities will provide the support and knowledge teachers need to develop engaging and motivating learning environments and scenarios, demonstrate high expectations and work with Aboriginal students in their pursuit of ‘personal
The indigenous Australian culture is one of the world’s oldest living cultures. Despite the negligence and the misunderstanding from the Europeans, Aboriginals were able to keep their culture alive by passing their knowledge by arts, rituals, performances and stories from one generation to another. Each tribe has its own language and way of using certain tools; however the sharing of knowledge with other tribes helps them survive with a bit easier with the usage of efficient yet primitive tools which helps a culture stay alive. Speaking and teaching the language as well as the protection of sacred sites and objects helps the culture stay...
Australian indigenous culture is the world’s oldest surviving culture, dating back sixty-thousand years. Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders have been represented in a myriad of ways through various channels such as poetry, articles, and images, in both fiction and non-fiction. Over the years, they have been portrayed as inferior, oppressed, isolated, principled and admirable. Three such texts that portray them in these ways are poems Circles and Squares and Grade One Primary by Ali Cobby Eckermann, James Packer slams booing; joins three cheers for footballer and the accompanying visual text and Heywire article Family is the most important thing to an islander by Richard Barba. Even though the texts are different as ….. is/are …., while
The majority decision in the High Court case of Mabo in 1992 found that indigenous relationships to land could be recognised through common law. This was then codified in the Native Title Act in 1993. The Native Title Act adopted much of the same language used in the High Court decision. For example, it defined native title as “rights and interests possessed under the traditional laws acknowledged and the traditional laws observed by the aboriginal peoples”. The result of Mabo and the
Smith, Ramsay W. Myths and Legends of the Australian Aborigines. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2003. Print.
The connection Indigenous Australians have with the land was established, and maintained, by The Dreamings, passed down through generations binding Indigenous Australians to the land (National Film & Sound Archive, 2015). National Film & Sound Archive (2015), highlight that land and being can not be separated for Indigenous Australians as they form part of the land and are accountable for the preservation of the land. Indigenous Australian land rights originated from an intricate social process constructed on traditional core values; where the rights of the land were established on principles of descendants, kinship and marriage (Dodds, 1998). However, despite this, the British colonisation of Australia in 1788 brought about change when the land was declared Terra Nullius (Short, 2007). Short (2007) stated that as a result of Australia being declared Terra Nullius, Indigenous Australians had no legitimate claim to their land. Hence, British colonisers dispossessing Indigenous Australians of their land rights as the customs established by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were not recognised or taken into consideration by the British Government (Short,
...d practiced traditional customs of their tribe. However this was hard to prove as their laws were never written down as they expressed their laws orally and had to remember them. This case made the native title claim difficult for the indigenous to get because their link to the land and their tradition had been severed due to the growth of urbanisation in those areas. The native title was seen as an important part of reconciliation between the Aboriginal Australians and the community to enhance the present and future. Many claims by the Yorta Yorta people were dismissed where the Australia in 2001 and the High Court of Australia 2002 which were also dismissed due to the tradition of being viewed as “old Historical ways”
To the indigenous community, country and story creates a strong cultural identity and is the starting point to their education. The second outcome; connected with and contribute to their world, is shown through the experience and learning of the indigenous culture and the history of the country and land they live in. Outcome three; strong sense of wellbeing is shown through enhancing indigenous children’s wellbeing socially, culturally, mentally and emotionally through learning about their heritage, country and history through the stories passed down through generations and gaining a sense of belonging and self identity. Both outcome four and five; confident and involved learners and effective communicators are important as they show a unity and understanding between the indigenous culture through learning about the country and stories together about the indigenous
But familiar landmarks and also the unfamiliar ones aren't the whole make-up of Australia's heritage. It's the people that make a difference. Australia is made up of people from all walks of life who have migrated here for different reasons. Among these, the most common migrants are from Greece, Italy, Russia and Asia. Australia is made up of material culture: the places and objects, but also Living culture: In forms such as Music, Crafts, Literature etc. It is an interplay between international cultures and beliefs, the claims of nationalism and ethnic and religious traditions, as well as the local and community priorities that’s make up the unique Australian heritage.
Australia day is a time of celebration and joy to many citizens of Australia, however, for some people, it is not all just fun and games. The Aboriginal people have been protesting for Aboriginal rights in and around Australia day for many years now. Why do the Indigenous Australians have a legitimate grievance to what Australia day commemorates? Many lives were lost during the taking of Australian soil, and all Aboriginal rights weren’t considered. The Aboriginal culture and history is just as, if not even more interesting than the traditional Australian history. Finally, Aboriginal celebrations aren’t recognised as an official national holiday, and because of this, when these events do occur, they can swiftly be shutdown by Australian Officials.
Cultural landscape is an instrument of force (Mitchell, 2008) and it is knowledge (Graham, 2001). As such it represents cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1977) of a society, state or nation, where through diverse social processes and practices directly or indirectly helps to form cultural identity. More specifically, cultural heritage, as a symbolic and visual language of cultural landscape, intersects with a “range of social and cultural debates about the legitimacy of a range of values and identities, and subsequently plays a part in their validation, negotiation and regulation” (Smith 2006).
... directly affiliated with the lands and environments of their communities and have been for many generations. In the perspective of the Australian marketplace, they’re trying to facilitate operations where aboriginals can lead and direct tourists in a more personalized and meaningful way, but based off of Richard Butler and Tom Hinch’s paper Tourism and Indigenous Peoples, many travelers still have very stereotypical views on the indigenous people and their culture which could “create unrealistic expectations concerning the nature of the aboriginal experiences visitors expect to encounter.” That’s not to say that there isn’t still parts of the southeast pacific that don’t have extremely independent indigenous cultures, but in todays modern society many of the indigenous peoples have advanced whilst also carrying along with them their true heritage and ways of life.