The native Australians are the first known humans to have set foot on Oceanic soil, probably arriving by boat during the glacial air 40,000 years ago. The origin and motivations of their arrival remain a mystery. Since the eighteenth century, other populations have settled on the island.We are talking about native cultures, complex and variable ►
The native Australians are the first known humans to have set foot on Oceanic soil, probably arriving by boat during the glacial air 40,000 years ago. The origin and motivations of their arrival remain a mystery. Since the eighteenth century, other populations have settled on the island.We are talking about native cultures, complex and variable according to the southern regions. It is nearly 250 languages that were spoken in the country before the eighteenth century by different ethnic groups: Pitjantjatjara or Walpiri in the desert, Djabukay in Queensland, and Rembarrnga in Arnhem land ... Nevertheless, there is a belief common to all natives of Australia: the Dreamtime. They consider that founding spirits erected the Earth and continue to exist in the different elements of nature: sea, mountains, trees, rivers... are all sacred. Their culture is, therefore, closely linked to the environment with which they are spiritually connected. You can learn more about this belief at the Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at the Melbourne Museum.To maintain the link between the spirit world and that of the living, a whole range of rituals, dances, songs, or paintings are made each year. Some of them are symbolic such as the singing of the didgeridoo, the boomerang throw, or the bush dance, which you will learn to handle in the Corung Peninsula in the south of Australia. Today, some Aboriginal communities reside in nature reserves where they have maintained their way of life. In contrast, others have chosen to live on the outskirts of large cities such as Canberra. These areas are restricted to the public but accessible by derogation from the Aboriginal Council. While in Australia, you can immerse yourself in the native culture by visiting the red center and the northern Australian region. The Kakadu National Park, 250km from Darwin, and its cave paintings can be seen. These are located on the sites of Ubirr Rock and Nourlangie Rock. The same goes for the native lands of Arnhem, which, under certain conditions, are open to meet one of the communities. You will learn methods of artisanal fabric production, jewelry making, or painting on wood.Beyond the plains, discover the Aboriginal Film Festival, a five-film marathon tracing native history and culture directed by four Black Australian filmmakers. It is held in a self-managed center in the Indulkana community on Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara land. To discover Aboriginal culture in the city, head to Melbourne, where the Koorie Heritage Cultural Centre awaits you to share a moment around native contemporary art. ◄
