Australian Aborigines: Their Art and Culture

2. Australian Aborigines Their Art and Culture

3. Some will be able to give an historic account of the Aborigines and explain a number of their cultural customs. • Most will be able to describe where the Aborigines live and one of their cultural customs. • All will be able to recall 3 facts about the Aborigines of Australia. Learning Outcomes

4. The word “aborigine” comes from the Latin – aborigine – meaning “from the beginning”. We usually think that Aborigines come from Australia, but in fact the first people of any land are Aborigines. However, we ARE looking at the Aborigines from Australia, who first inhabited the land 40,000 years ago. For most of this time they lived by gathering food, hunting and fishing. They also have a great love of art and music.

5. Captain James Cook landed in Australia in 1770 – and life changed for the Aborigines forever. He arrived from Britain with many settlers, who forced the native Australians into the hottest and driest parts. Here the land was hard and dry and difficult to grow crops or keep animals.Life became very tough for the Aboriginal people.

6. Captain Cook’s first voyage 1778-1771

7. For 40,000 years the Aborigines had hunted their food. When the European settlers started sheep farming, if the Aborigines hunted the sheep the farmers shot them. Thousands of Aborigines died of European diseases, such as smallpox, measles and ‘flu. There were massive fights between the natives and the settlers, but as the settlers had better weapons, more Aborigines died. In 150 years, 80% of the Aboriginal people were killed. It would not be until 1967, they would be accepted as having full citizens rights.

8. Many Aboriginal people now live in the towns or cities, but others still remain in settlements scattered around Australia. Although most no longer live off the land, most still try to retain their culture through art and music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o221noLANYw

9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAYmk9Qb9Dc Boomerangs were invented by Aborigines and used for hunting, fighting, as tools for cutting or digging, and as a Percussion instrument to accompany dancing & singing. If correctly thrown, its special design means it returns to the thrower! They have beautiful designs & are now sold as Souvenirs.

10. The Aborigines believe that their ancestors created everything in the world during “dreamtime”. They believe their Ancestor spirits took many forms – animal, human and plant – and often transformed from a swimming fish, to a jumping kangaroo, to a singing human, to a rock or a tree. They believe that each person is guarded by a personal spirit. They believe that their Ancestors walked the Earth creating all things on Earth and in space. Certain places are considered to be sacred sites.

11. The most famous sacred site of the Aborigines is Uluru (Ayers Rock). It is believed to be the camp of the Carpet Snake Spirits who lived there for thousands of years before they were turned to stone. The spirits fought a great battle to defend their camp, spilling large quantities of blood, and this legend explains why the rock turns blood red at sunset.

12. The Morning Star Ceremony traces the journey that a person’s spirit must take after death. It also shows how – even though we may fall out with people in life – we often join together when someone close dies – BECAUSE – we need the support of other people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwtnBm8glPE

13. It is believed that the Ancestor Spirits journeyed across the Land leaving many Dreaming Tracks, and creating the landscape as they travelled Every now and then they stopped, to make a new animal, plant or physical feature, such as a river, lake or rock like Uluru. Not only did the Ancestor Spirits make everything on Earth and in space, but they also taught the Aboriginal people how to lead their lives. They made patterns for every aspect of life – hunting, cooking, marrying and bringing up children.

14. Early Rock Paintings and Carvings are over 20,000 years old. They usually show a variety of Animal forms. 10,000 years later they started to show some human figures and their activities. Dynamic Style Paintings were created in the Ice Age. They depicted stick like figures shown hunting and fighting, because more people had to compete for the land.

15. The picture below shows the beliefs of the Aborigines, of how human life is entwined with nature. They believe that it is vital that there is a harmony between the two! Aborigine sand drawings often show life as it unfolds. Here, a drawing of a pregnant woman shows the importance of what will be – a NEW life.

16. Some of Australia’s Endangered Species....... The Gilbert’s Potoroo (below) is an endangered species of Australia. It can now only be found in two parts of Australia, due to the loss of habitat. Also, its main predators are the domestic cat and foxes – both of which are increasing, because their habitat now has humans living there. The Mountain Pygmy Possum (above), is a victim of global warming, and has become yet another endangered species.

17. The Short-tailed hopping mouse is one of the many mammals that have become extinct in Australia since the settlers arrived there 200 years ago. This meant that native creatures lost their natural habitat and diseases and non-native predators were brought by the settlers to the ‘New World’. Another victim was the ‘Tasmanian Wolf’.

18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl-YI44XYjI Emu Salt water crocodile Koala The Aborigine people share their home with an incredible variety of wildlife. Dingo Budgerigars

19. Aboriginal Flag

20. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAYmk9Qb9Dc Boomerangs were invented by Aborigines and used for hunting, fighting, as tools for cutting or digging, and as a Percussion instrument to accompany dancing & singing. If correctly thrown, its special design means it returns to the thrower! They have beautiful designs & are now sold as Souvenirs.

22. Aboriginal Art From Australia

24. Aboriginal people are indigenous (the first) Australians. They tell stories in words and pictures about how the world began. They call this Dreamtime. Their stories are called ‘Dreamings’.

25. Quick recap Can you point Australia on the map?

26. Australia’sdeserts

28. Aboriginal Art technique They used their fingers or sticks for painting. There weren’t any art shops where they could buy brushes! Aboriginal art includes lots of symbols for the natural things around them.

30. Aboriginal art uses 'Earth Colours'. Why?

31. These are the colours of the desert. Aboriginal artists made their paints from natural materials. Aboriginal paintings also use lots of dots.

32. Blackrepresentsthenight and theaboriginalpeople. • Yellowrepresentsthesun, itisthesacredcolour. • Redisthecolour of theland and theblood. • Whiteisthespiritcolour ABORIGINAL COLOURS

33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b-vI3Nf50g LET’S WATCH A VIDEO

37. Watchthefollowingvideo.Payattention to thetechnique: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFgwtBYbUDc • Now use yourimagination and createyourownaboriginalpainting. • Chooseone of theaboriginal symbols thatyoulikebest. • Use yourpencilfordrawingit and colourwithdots. Let’screate a dotpainting.

38. 1. Wheredidtheaboriginalpeoplelive? 2. Wheredoestheaboriginal art come from? Fromwhichcontinent? 3. Theaboriginaltoldstories. What do theycallthesestrories? 4. Can younamesome of thedeserts in Australia? 5. Whattechniquedidthey use fortheirpaintings? 6. Can youdrawsome of theaboriginal symbols? 7. What are themaincolours of aboriginal art? 8. Wheredidtheygetthematerialsfortheirpaintings? A) fromthe sea. B) fromthenature C) fromthedesert Can youanswerthefollowingquestions? How much can you remember?