“They say we have been here for 40,000 years, but it has been much

longer than that…

…We have been here since time began.”

Hunters and Gatherers Horticulture

Smaller number of people in a given group (40)

10 percent of these societies were found to have permanent settlements

There was no specialization found within occupations

Minimal belief in god

Larger number of people depending on advancement (1,000-5,000)

94 percent of these societies have permanent settlements

1-7% had specialization

Minimal belief in god

• The rate of population is low (scholars estimate that 15-50% of births end in infanticide)

• Nomadic people (usually return to a former campsite)• Based around kinship ties (in fact, particularly for

Australian aboriginal groups, a man can define his relations to every person with anyone he has social dealings with)

• Two types of groups: nuclear and extended families, which is important when a family is having trouble providing food

• Usually have a headman and a shaman (medicine man), but other than that no occupational specialties

• Minimal inequality in power and privilege, because differences in wealth are very minor (almost egalitarian), personal characteristics are very important

Arrernte People are a group of tribes residing in Central Australia

Several sub-groups: Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern, and North-eastern

Hunter and Gathers

http://aboriginalart.com.au/culture/arrernte.html#

Lived in the same area for 40,000 years 1880’s first contact with White Settlers 1890’s displaced 120 km West of Alice

Springs Throughout 1960’s and 1970’s slowly

regained traditional lands, recognition, and rights from the government

• Currently 35000 Arrernte • Tribal numbers are in flux and estimates

vary • Reside in family groups of 15-30 called

bands• Territories are fixed, and tribes have never

encroached on each other• Relatively high infant mortality rate,

compared to Western Cultures• Lower standard of living and life expectancy

relative to Industrialized countries

In Indigenous Australian groups, the family encompasses many people

All adults care for and educate all children Children learn to understand their social

and natural environment through stories Adult aborigines use every opportunity to

teach all of the tribe’s children about their history and how to behave

Men were the hunters of “Hunter-gatherers”, bringing in 20-40% of food

Boys began initiation into manhood at ~7-8 through education, independence, pain endurance

Boys followed older males to learn their roles in the society

Women gathered 60-80 % of the tribes’ food

Women took primary care of all children

No initiation for girls; married at puberty and moved into husband’s family

Women taught girls through ceremonies: ritual bathing, temporary separation from the tribe, and food taboos.

Like most ATSI groups, the Arrernte were nomadic, and lived in bands

No permanent home (temporary huts) No (official) stratification of society Informal laws, came from Dreamtime Semi-“Egalitarian” organization: informal

leadership/decision-making process Elders were respected and obeyed

It is the history, culture, religion, and identity of Indigenous Australians

Stories about creation, animal spirits who created the land, history of ATSI people

Belief in magical potions, spells Deep attachment to their land, which was

created for them during the Dreamtime Death was mourned elaborately, then

deceased was never mentioned again

Used to educate children Oral illustrations of the Dreamtime Performed in religious ceremonies with song

and dance

Men hunted large animals

Women and children gathered fruits and plants

Bush tucker Moved around to

prevent over hunting and harvesting

Very diverse diet High knowledge of

plants, animals, and seasons

Ground mosaics Rock engravings Extensive use of

symbols

Instruments include the Didgeridoo, clapping sticks, and rattles

Traditional ceremonial songs handed down through generations

Depict events from the Dreamtime

Songs often used to overcome language barriers

• Arrernte is part of the Arandic group of the Pama-Nyungan languages, and is spoken by about 3,000 people in central Australia, particularly in Alice Springs (2).

• One of the strongest surviving Aboriginal languages as a result of the isolation of the Arrernte-speaking areas (1).

• One of the most common misconceptions about the Arrernte language is that its seen as “primitive” when in fact, the grammatical systems are far more complex than in English (4).

• The main vocabulary reflects the cultural interests of the social group which speaks it (2).

• Greater number of words in everyday use to describe kinship terms and aspects of the natural world (5).

• Highly diversified vocabulary in specialized areas such as parts of animals, noises, seed types, various stages of development, and other natural phenomena (5).

Before the arrival of European settlers, the presence of the Arrernte language was strongly felt on the Austrailian continent (3).

Assimilation of native cultures lead to the slow decline of Arrernte as well as hundreds of other Aboriginal languages (3).

As the Arrernte language dies out, so do irreplaceable parts of their culture and folklore (5).

Many who live in areas such as Alice Springs struggle to keep their language alive as little aid is delivered by the Austrailian government (3). ◦ Arrernte is the first language learned by those in the Alice

Springs area. English is often the second learned language (4). ◦ Arrernte is also required in the workplace to cater the native

speakers in Alice Springs (4).

Federation 1901 The Stolen Generation 1869 - 1967 (the

removal ended at this stage)◦ In 1937 the commonwealth conference on ‘native welfare’

adopts assimilation as the national policy;“The destiny of the natives of Aboriginal origin, but not of the full blood, lies in ultimate absorption by the people of the Commonwealth and it therefore recommends that all

efforts be directed by that end”◦ Due to the removal of these half-caste children, many

grew up without the knowledge of the Aboriginal culture◦ Voting◦ Rabbit Proof Fence◦ You Tube ‘The Stolen Generation’ and ‘Stolen Generation’

The Stolen Generation

People of the Stolen Generation, today

These people are now receiving payouts from the Australian Government to acknowledge the past

Adoption, new laws in relation to adopting Aboriginal children

The Northern Territory Intervention - Alcohol, new laws in relation to Aboriginal people

Above the law - T.J Hickey riots fueled by anger and alcohol

Education An Apology, Wednesday 13th Feb 2008

new Australian Government will apologize to the Stolen Generation

"Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.We reflect on their past mistreatment.We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations - this blemished

chapter in our nation's history. The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs

of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future. We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted

profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their

families, their communities and their country. For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families

left behind, we say sorry.To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and

communities, we say sorry.And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say

sorry. We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it

is offered as part of the healing of the nation.For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now

be written.We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all

Australians. A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to

close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility. A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities

and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia."

Kevin Rudd’s Apology

Many white Australians are extremely disappointed in the Prime Minister and the fact that he apologized. This apology has opened a new can of worms.

Due to the fact that the apology was 2 days ago the repercussions and the fact that I am here I do not know the full impact of the apology on white Australian people but what I do know is that white Australians are upset, hurt and offended by the apology, they feel wronged by the government.

Does any of the information from our presentation sound familiar?

What is the best explanation for the high rate of abortion/infanticide in these groups?A. Unable to tolerate kidsB. Feel that it is a sacrifice to the spirits of the earthC. Hope to release good karma among the groupD. Are unable to have 2 children at a time due to the survival skills of a child

Which statement best describes the Indigenous Australian Arrernte tribal and family structure?

A. Arrernte families consisted only of a husband, wife, and their children.

B. Arrernte couples lived with their children and extended families, but adults were expected to treat all tribe children as their own.

C. The Arrernte enforced a strict division of genders, where the men lived in one group and the women lived separately with the children.

D. The Dreamtime dictated that the Arrernte should live in one collective, except for the sick who lived in separate tents.

Traditionally, children are taught the Arrernte way of life throughA - Schooling with other childrenB - Imitating their parentsC - StorytellingD – Ancient written documents

The Arrernte language is slowly dying out in

Australia. All of the following can be linked to

its slow decline except…A. European settlementB. Geographic locationC. English as national language of AustraliaD. Slow suppression of Arrernte folklore and

tradition by increased settlement and urbanization

What did Kevin Rudd do on the 8th of February 2008?

A - Gave Australian Aboriginal people a chance to speak

B - Held a memorial for Australian Aboriginal people that were killed

C - Apologized to the Australian Aboriginal people

D - Asked the Australian Aboriginal people for a second chance

• Lee, Richard B. and Daly, Richard. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunters and Gathers. 1999 Cambridge University Press, England

• http://aboriginalart.com.au/culture/arrernte.html#• http://www.about-australia.com/facts/northern-territory/history/• http://aboriginalart.com.au/culture/history.html• http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=379056• http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/barani/themes/theme3.htm• http://www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au/about_alice/aboriginal.asp• http://www.omniglot.com/writing/arrernte.htm• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7225570.stm• http://www.bri.net.au/spokenword.html• Kita, Sotaro. Pointing: Where Language, Culture, and Cognition Meet. Lawrence

Erlbaum Associates. copyright 2003 [p. 176-180]• http://www.crystalinks.com/aboriginals.html• http://www.dreamtime.net.au/• Guns, Germs, and Steel• Human Societies