An Introduction

https://theconversation.com/dreamtime-and-the-dreaming-an-introduction-20833

1. The Dreaming is grounded in the land. How do we see it actualise in daily life and
social organisation?
The Dreaming is a concept central to many indigenous Australian cultures, referring
to a complex system of beliefs, stories, and practices that explains the origin of the
universe, the natural world, and human existence. It is intimately connected to the
land and the relationship between people and the environment. In daily life and social
organization, we can see the actualization of the Dreaming in many ways. For
example, Indigenous Australians have a deep respect for land and the natural world.
They believe that the is not just physical space, but a living entity that is full of
spiritual power and significance. This means that they take care of the land, protect
from harm, and use it in a sustainable way.
2. What is the view of W. H. Stanner?
W.H. Stanner was an Australian anthropologist and public intellectual who lived from
1901 to 1985. He was known for his work on cultures of indigenous peoples,
particularly the concept of ‘Dreaming’ and/or ‘Dreamtime’ Stanner's views on
Indigenous Australians were shaped by a deep respect for their cultures and
traditions, as well as their capacity for self-determination.
3. What is Maggie Fletcher referring to when she states”...an entire epistemology has
been reduced to a single English word.” Provide an example that supports her
argument.
Although dreams are a part of aboriginal religion, “Dreaming” is not a good
translation of the full meaning. This is a problem because many different concepts
and beliefs are being reduced to just one English word
4. What does Brian Martin mean when he uses the term ‘countryscapes’? How is it
synonymous with Aboriginal spirituality?
“Countryscapes” can be seen as synonymous with aboriginal spirituality because the
physical landscapes of a particular country or region are intimately connected to the
spiritual and cultural beliefs of aboriginal people. The land, waterways, plants,
animals, and other natural elements are all considered to be living entities, and they
are often recognized as ancestors or spiritual beings.
5. What is the challenge for all Australians?
Indigenous Australian religious concepts do have a level of commonality – as is
demonstrably the case with different denominations and branches of Christianity,
Judaism, Islam, and so forth – these Aboriginal religions cannot be regarded as
monolithic entities.

Who dreamed up these terms?

https://theconversation.com/dreamtime-and-the-dreaming-who-dreamed-up-these-terms-208
35

1. Where did the term first appear?

 In the late 19th century, Francis Gillen, the post and telegraph stationmaster in Alice
Springs, an arrernte speaker, and enthologist become the first person on record to
use the expression “dream times” as a translation.
2. List 2 issues with using the term ‘The Dreaming’? Explain one of your issues in more
detail.
One issue with using the term ‘The Dreaming’ is that it can be seen as a
generalization that covers all Indigneous Australian spiritual practices and beliefs.
However, this is not entirely accurate as there are many different Indigenous cultures,
each with its own beliefs and stories.
Another issue with using the term “The Dreaming” is that it has been used in the past
to describe Aboriginal spirituality without proper acknowledgment or respect for their
culture.
3. Explain what ‘dreamings’ are?
The term "Dreaming" (or "The Dreaming") refers to the spiritual beliefs and creation
stories of Indigenous Australians. It includes stories about how the world was
created, how people and animals came to be, and how the land was shaped. These
stories are an important part of Indigenous culture and provide a way of
understanding the world.
4. How do ‘dreaming narratives’ outline appropriate human behaviours?
These stories often include lessons and moral teachings that outline how people
should treat each other and the natural world. By listening to and learning from these
stories, Indigenous Australians can understand what behaviors are considered
respectful, kind, and appropriate in their culture.

What’s the relationship?

https://theconversation.com/dreamings-and-dreaming-narratives-whats-the-relationship-208
37

1. Explain what ‘songlines’ are.

"Songlines" is a term used to describe the complex paths that cross the Australian
continent. The songlines follow natural landmarks such as rivers, mountains, and
rocks, and are tied to the spiritual stories and beliefs of Indigenous Australians.
2. How is The Dreaming interconnected and exhibited in the landscape?
The Dreaming is believed to be interconnected with the land and is exhibited in the
landscape. The land itself is seen as a physical manifestation of The Dreaming,
containing the stories and spirits of ancestors and created beings.
3. Explain the term and concept of ‘country.’
The words that Aboriginal people use about the country express a living relationship.
The country may be mother or grandfather, which grows them up and is grown up by
them.

Complete the following questions using the above articles and your responses.
1. The Dreaming provides a framework for daily Aboriginal life. Explain and provide an
example.
2. Discuss how The Dreaming is diverse and different for Aboriginal peoples. (You may
like to include information about use of the term ‘The Dreaming’).
 3. Discuss how Aboriginal spirituality is determined by the Dreaming: kinship,
ceremonial life, and obligations to the land and people.

An Introduction (simplified text)

In Australia, there is a significant religious belief known as The Dreaming. It's a complex
concept that provides rules for living, morals, and guidelines for interacting with nature. The
Dreaming is often called "timeless" or referred to as happening at the beginning of time.
However, The Dreaming is not just about time past, but also the present and future. The
Australian anthropologist W.E.H. Stanner used the term "everywhen" to describe this idea.
The Dreaming is difficult to understand because it is a complex collection of meanings with
an unchallengeable sacred authority. Unfortunately, many people still have misconceptions
about The Dreaming, but it is an essential part of the culture of the Indigenous people in
Australia.
“One cannot ‘fix’ The Dreaming in time: it was, and is, everywhen” wrote Stanner, adding
that The Dreaming “ … has … an unchallengeable sacred authority”. Stanner went on to
observe that: “We [non-Indigenous Australians] shall not understand The Dreaming fully
except as a complex of meanings” (my emphasis).

In Australia, there is a significant religious belief known as The Dreaming. It's a complex
concept that provides rules for living, morals, and guidelines for interacting with nature. The
Dreaming is often called "timeless" or referred to as happening at the beginning of time.
However, The Dreaming is not just about time past, but also the present and future. The
Australian anthropologist W.E.H. Stanner used the term "everywhen" to describe this idea.
The Dreaming is difficult to understand because it is a complex collection of meanings with
an unchallengeable sacred authority. Unfortunately, many people still have misconceptions
about The Dreaming, but it is an essential part of the culture of the Indigenous people in
Australia.

It’s difficult to fully explain the complex meaning of "The Dreaming" in Australian Aboriginal
culture. There are many different Aboriginal languages in Australia, and no single word in
any of these languages can fully represent the complex beliefs of Aboriginal religion.
Unfortunately, when colonizers arrived, they simplified these complex beliefs and translated
them into English as "Dreaming" or "Dreamtime". Although dreams are part of Aboriginal
religion, "Dreaming" is not a good translation of the full meaning. This is a problem because
many different concepts and beliefs are being reduced to just one English word. This does
not reflect the true depth and complexity of Aboriginal religion.

Other examples of satellite terminology for understanding "The Dreaming" include:

 ● Tjukurpa: A word used by some Central and Western Desert people to describe their
religious beliefs and law. It encompasses stories, songs, ceremonies, and knowledge
about the land, animals, and plants.
● Wandjina: A term used by some Indigenous peoples in the Kimberley region of
Western Australia to refer to a group of ancestral beings who created the land,
animals, and people.
● Law/Lore: Refers to the rules and customs that guide behaviour and regulate social
relationships in Indigenous communities. These laws are often linked to the stories
and beliefs of the Dreaming.
● Songlines: Refers to the paths that Indigenous peoples trace across the land in order
to connect with their ancestral spirits and perform ceremonies. Each songline is
associated with specific stories and places that form part of the Dreaming.
● Totems: Refers to the animals or plants that are associated with particular Indigenous
clans or language groups. These totems are believed to have a spiritual connection
to the Dreaming and are often used as a symbol of identity.

It's important to note that these terms may have different meanings and uses across different
Indigenous cultures and communities, and that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to
understanding the complexities of Aboriginal religious belief.
Before people came to Australia, the Aboriginal people had many different languages and
cultures. They had a special way of thinking about the world and their beliefs are known as
Aboriginal religion. One of the main parts of their religion is called "The Dreaming", which is
like a set of ideas and stories about how the world was created and how people should live.
The Aboriginal people have many different words in their languages to describe "The
Dreaming". For example, the Warlpiri people call it "Jukurrpa" and the Arrerntic people call it
"Altyerrenge". The Kija people call it "Ngarrankarni" and the Ngarinyin people call it "Ungud".
There are many other words for it in other Aboriginal languages.

"The Dreaming" is not just one idea, but many different ones that are all connected. There
are also other words that help explain "The Dreaming" in more detail. For example,
"kuruwarri" is a word used by the Warlpiri people to describe a special pattern or design that
represents "The Dreaming". Another word, "pirlirrpa", describes a person's spirit or essence,
which is believed to live in their kidneys.
One more example is "yiwiringgi", which is a person's Conception Dreaming. This word
describes the place where the mother believes she conceived her child and how this relates
to the child's spiritual nature. Another important word, "kurruwalpa", describes a spirit-child
that waits to be reborn into another child.

There are many more words that describe different parts of "The Dreaming", but some of
them are too important or secret to talk about.
Like other religions around the world, Indigenous Australian religious concepts have
similarities and differences depending on where they are practiced and the beliefs of the
people who follow them. Just like how there are different types of Christianity, like Catholic or
Protestant, there are different types of Indigenous Australian religions.
To truly understand Indigenous Australian religion, we need to take into account the cultural
and regional differences of the people who practice it.
One thing that makes Indigenous Australian religion unique is that it is connected to the land
where it is practiced. This means that the beliefs and practices of a particular Indigenous
Australian religion are tied to the local environment, described as “countryscapes”.
Dreamings are part of Indigenous Australian religion, and are based on the actions of
Dreaming Ancestors who are believed to have created local geographical features such as
waterholes and springs. Different Indigenous groups across Australia have different
Dreamings based on their local landscape and environment.
However, using the term "Dreaming" to refer to all of these different religious beliefs is not
accurate or respectful of the diversity of Indigenous cultures. Instead, it's important to use
the original terms from Indigenous languages, like Manguy, Jukurrpa, or Ngarrankarni. This
might be more challenging, but it's an important step towards understanding and respecting
the unique cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity of Indigenous Australians.

Who dreamed up these terms? (simplified text)

In the late 1800s, a man named Francis Gillen lived in Alice Springs. He was the person in
charge of the post and telegraph station, and he spoke the Arrernte language. Gillen was
very interested in learning about the Arrernte people's religious beliefs, so he worked with
another man named Walter Baldwin Spencer to study them. Gillen was respectful and kind
to the Arrernte people, and he was the first person to use the words "dream times" to
describe their beliefs. Baldwin Spencer was a famous biologist and anthropologist who wrote
about Francis Gillen's work with the Arrernte people. He used Gillen's translation of the
Arrernte word-concept "Ülchurringa" in his book about the Horn Expedition, which made
Gillen's words famous. If Baldwin Spencer had not supported Gillen's translation, it probably
would not have become well-known.

The Dreaming is a term that describes the beliefs and religious practices of Indigenous
Australians. It is based on the idea that the land and the environment are important to their
religion. A man named Francis Gillen was the first person to use the phrase "dream times" to
explain the complex religious beliefs of the Arrernte people, who are Indigenous Australians.
A scientist named Baldwin Spencer then used this term in a book he wrote, and this helped
to make it more popular. Over time, the term "Dreamtime" became more commonly used to
describe the beliefs of all Indigenous Australians. This terminology has now become widely
used all around the world.

A colleague in Croatia who studies Australia had trouble finding the right word in Croatian for
"The Dreaming". She chose "Snivanje", which comes from the word "san" meaning "dream"
in Latin. The direct translation would be "sanjanje", which only refers to dreams during sleep.
"Snivanje" is not a common word in everyday Croatian, unlike "dreaming" in English. She
acknowledges that the word is not perfect, but it's the best option available in Croatian.

In Aboriginal culture, dreams are believed to hold great power. Sometimes, new stories,
songs, dances, and ceremonies can come from dreams, but this doesn't happen every day.
Dreaming is a complex concept that goes beyond just this one aspect.
This deep knowledge of the land and environment is an integral part of the Dreaming, as the
Ancestral Beings are believed to have created the land and all living things on it, and their
actions continue to shape and influence the world. Thus, the Dreaming is not just a set of
myths or stories, but a comprehensive system of knowledge, belief and practice that has
sustained Indigenous Australian cultures for tens of thousands of years. The use of the term
"Dreaming" to describe this complex and nuanced concept is a product of Western academic
and popular discourse, and its limitations and potential for erasure of Indigenous
perspectives should be acknowledged and addressed.

It is important to acknowledge the diverse and rich Indigenous languages and cultures of
Australia, and to use the specific terminology and language of the Indigenous communities
when referring to their beliefs and traditions. This includes using the local Indigenous
language terms for the concept of Dreaming, rather than relying on the English language
term. It is a way to show respect for and value the knowledge and cultures of Australia's First
Peoples.

What’s the relationship? (simplified text)

Long ago, before Australia was colonized by foreigners, the land was covered in Dreamings.
Dreamings are like paths that were made by special Creator Ancestors. These Ancestors
traveled all over the land and made everything in nature, including rules about how people
should behave. There were about 250 different languages spoken in Australia at the time,
and each language had its own special word for the Dreamings. In some areas, the
Dreamings were called "Daramoolen" or "Nura". However, after foreigners came and took
over, the different words were all combined into one word, "Dreaming".

Just like subway maps in big cities, the Dreamings have many different lines and stopping
points. Each stopping point has a special name, which might be the name of a plant or
animal in that area, or a place where something important happened. For example, the
Warlpiri people have a place called Miyi-kirlangu, which means "the place of vegetable food".
This name tells us that this is a place where people could find lots of different plants to eat.
Understanding the Dreamings and their special names is important because it helps us to
understand the history and culture of Australia's First Nations people.

Many years ago, before people from other countries came to Australia, the land was full of
"Dreamings." Each of the different languages spoken by Aboriginal people had their own
words for these Dreamings. The Dreaming is when Creator Ancestors travelled the land and
created everything in nature and made up the laws of kinship. The Dreaming also explains
how people should behave.

The Dreaming is like a big map of the land, with lots of lines going across it, like a subway
map. These lines show where the Creator Ancestors went and what they created. There are
special places along the lines, and they all have names. The names of the places might
describe what grows there, or what happened there a long time ago. For example, a place
called Miyi-kirlangu means "the place of vegetable food," which shows that there were
vegetables growing there. Another place, Warlu-kurlangu, means "Place of Fire," and it's
where a big fire burnt a long time ago. Even today, you can see reminders of the fire in the
form of large anthills shaped like flames.

Aboriginal people have been using these special names for a long time, but when people
from other countries came to Australia, they started calling it "The Dreaming." But that name
is not really accurate because there are many different Dreamings, with different names and
stories. So, it's important to remember that there are many different languages and cultures
in Australia, and they all have their own ways of understanding the land and its stories.
These models or templates, referred to as “law”, were not rigid or fixed, but were adaptable
and subject to change, as long as those changes were sanctioned by the appropriate
custodians or elders. These custodians were responsible for maintaining and transmitting
the Dreaming knowledge to successive generations, as well as for performing the
ceremonies and rituals associated with specific Dreamings.

The Dreamings themselves were not seen as something that existed only in the past, but
rather as ongoing and ever-present, with the Ancestors still interacting with people, animals,
and the landscape in the present. The rituals and ceremonies associated with specific
Dreamings were seen as a way of maintaining the ongoing relationship between the
Ancestors, the people, and the land, as well as a way of ensuring the continued wellbeing of
all three.

In summary, the concept of “Dreaming” or “Jukurrpa” is central to the cultural and spiritual
beliefs of many Aboriginal groups in Australia. It encompasses a complex system of
knowledge, beliefs, and practices that are intimately tied to the land and its history, and
which continue to shape the way that Aboriginal people interact with each other, with the
natural environment, and with the wider Australian society.

The Dreaming narratives that connect the travels of these ancestral beings to specific sites
in the Australian landscape constitute a significant body of oral literature that is comparable
to other great world literatures, such as the Bible, the Torah, the Ramayana, and the Greek
tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles. However, the Dreaming narratives are not just
entertainment or mythology; they have a fundamentally didactic purpose. They aim to teach
about the sacred geographies of specific cultural landscapes so that people might learn to
live on specific "country" successfully, in accordance with the Law.

The entirety of "country," including its environmental features, topography, landmarks, flora,
fauna, and water sources, is deeply etched and encoded with meaning, and connected by
powerful narratives. In Dreaming narratives, "country" is regarded as animate, living,
breathing entities, and always has a significant part to play.

These narratives are expressed in various forms, including lengthy epics that are spoken,
sung, visually represented, or performed through dance and music. They provide details
about the ancestral journeys through "country" and the creation of the world around them.
The artist Myra Nungarrayi Herbert/Patrick, who is based in Lajamanu and belongs to the
Warlpiri community, created the Ngalyipi Jukurrpa ("Bush, Snake or Native Vine Dreaming"),
which represents the rope-like vine Tinospora smilacina that grows on Warlpiri country. The
painting depicts the various uses of Ngalyipi, which ranged from medicinal to ceremonial and
from secular to secret-sacred.

Ngalyipi was traditionally used as a poultice to relieve muscle and joint pain, as well as to
treat gastrointestinal issues when applied externally. It was also rubbed into wounds, boils,
and infected sores, and taken orally to alleviate symptoms of colds, the flu, and other related
ailments. In addition to its medicinal properties, Ngalyipi was also used as a type of rope for
men to bind leaves to their ankles during public ceremonies known as purlapa, and to tie
long, elongated witi poles to men's bodies during more restricted male initiation ceremonies.
The Lajamanu-based Warlpiri artist Myra Nungarrayi Herbert/Patrick’s Ngalyipi Jukurrpa
(“Bush, Snake or Native Vine Dreaming”) depicts the Tinospora smilacina, a rope-like vine
that grows on Warlpiri country. The ngalyipi vine had a range of uses, from medicinal to
ceremonial, both secular and secret-sacred. It was applied as a poultice to relieve muscle
and joint pain, to treat gastro-intestinal ailments, and was even ingested to relieve cold and
flu symptoms. The plant also served a ceremonial function, being used to bind leaves to
men’s ankles in public ceremonies and to tie long poles to men’s bodies in male initiation
ceremonies.

The detailed narratives about male Witi ceremonies in which ngalyipi played a significant
role were restricted to senior members of the appropriate kinship groups. Despite this
restriction, one can glean some understanding of the content and nature of Jukurrpa
narratives from the brief description of ngalyipi’s uses and the accompanying ethno-botanical
and medicinal knowledge.

In contrast, the Diarrhoea Dreaming by Western Arnhem Land artist Ralph Nganjmirra
exhibits a markedly different subject matter and stylistic features. The artwork, painted in the
“X-ray” style characteristic of the region, depicts clan-owned cross-hatchings, known as
rarrk, which signify familial ownership of the designs. The surprising title of the painting
challenges preconceptions about the strictly spiritual nature of Dreaming narratives,
indicating a more varied and complex range of content.

The narrative depicted in Nganjmirra's artwork is considered restricted knowledge and can
only be divulged to certain senior members of the appropriate kinship group. The Dreaming
narrative holds cultural and spiritual significance to the Western Arnhem Land (Kunwinjku)
people, and the depiction of the events serves as a warning against careless and reckless
behaviour that could result in fatal consequences. The narrative demonstrates how
Dreaming stories carry ethical, cultural, and practical information, including knowledge about
local flora and their potential dangers, emphasizing the didactic nature of Dreaming
narratives.