M3 - Learner Manual

8. Aboriginal Spirituality - Land and Sacred Sites

The following definition of Aboriginal spirituality gives some sense of the scale of spirituality in the lives of Australia’s first inhabitants:

Aboriginal spirituality is defined as at the core of Aboriginal being, their very identity. It gives meaning to all aspects of life including relationships with one another and the environment. All objects are living and share the same soul and spirit as Aboriginal peoples. There is a kinship with the environment. Aboriginal spirituality can be expressed visually, musically and ceremonially^.

Reference: Grant, E.K., Unseen, Unheard, Unspoken: Exploring the Relationship Between Aboriginal Spirituality & Community Development. 2004, University of South Australia: Adelaide, pg. 8-9

The land and the stories are the teacher. Creation stories are like parables, they contain both moral and practical information such as kinship taboos, what to eat or not, passage to important places. Lessons are taught that are above the opinions of living people. The stories have authority in their antiquity and collective ownership.