The aborigines lived by hunting and collecting food. They caught and ate every type of animal — kangaroos, wallabies, snakes and goannas, observes Reet Singh
Australian aborigines

THE word aborigines comes from a Latin phrase ab origine, which means from the beginning. When we spell it with a small ‘a’ it refers to people whose ancestors were the first people to live in a country. Australian aborigines are Australians whose ancestors were the first people to live in Australia.

Aborigines have been living in Australia for over 50,000 years or more. In 1788, there were atleast 7,50,000 aborigines living on the continent. Today, there are only about 2,06,000 left.

The aborigines lived by hunting and collecting food. They caught and ate every type of animal — kangaroos, wallabies, snakes and goannas. They also ate shellfish, crabs, oysters, turtles and tortoises and their eggs. Some foods were eaten raw, and some roasted over an open fire, on live coals or in an oven. Fish were baked in carefully made wrappings of leaves to keep their flavour.

Fire was started by the ‘friction method, — rubbing with a fire drill or a fire saw. Both tools involved hard wood, soft wood and tinder.

Just as food was needed, so was water. If surface water was unavailable, the aborigines knew where to find water. They covered water holes to prevent evaporation. The roots of certain trees like, mallees, hakeas, bloodwoods give off water. Aborigines dug them and cut them and sealed the ends with clay until needed.

The aborigines usually remained naked, except for covering their private parts. Members of both sexes decorated themselves with red and yellow ochres, white pipeclay, and charcoal, and wore necklets and armbands of bunched feathers.

Aboriginal artistry found expression in many forms. The main inspiration of aboriginal art was religious ideas expressed through myth and legend. Everyday events were also depicted. Two styles of traditional art are mimi (stick figure painting) and X-ray paintings, which are paintings of humans, animals, and fish that show the internal organs as well as flesh.

Dances were usually simple, although some included complicated and graceful leg and hand movements. Usually, men and women danced separately. Music was vital and complex. The instrument used for accompaniment was a pair of clapping sticks. The didgeridoo (drone pipe) was not played alone. It provided a droning background for a songman with his clapping sticks. Sacred myths were often acted out in rituals. Other stories were simply legends or tales.

The aborigines were deeply religious. An important aspect of their belief was the dreaming or dreamtime. They believed that spirits were present from the start. These shaped the world as it is now and made everything, including people and their traditional way of life. Some went into the sky or ground, or merged into hills, rocks or water holes. Though these beings died, their spirits lived on and will continue to live on into the future. The greatest spirits were gods and goddesses.

Aborigines buried their dead. They believed in reincarnation, that the dead person’s spirit would return to its mythical association through the dreaming to be reborn.

At present there is a steady drift of aborigines to the cities in search of better jobs and housing. It is difficult to find jobs because of their limited knowledge of job market. They are caught in a vicious circle. Their low social and economic status traps them in poorer areas of cities or on the fringes of country towns. Limited education and limited chances to acquire basic skills mean that jobs available are poor and unskilled.

Alcoholism is another problem within the community. For them, it is a way to escape from their troubles. In order to reduce alcoholism, many settlements ban or restrict alcohol consumption. However, it is hoped that better health, education and living standards will change attitudes.