Aboriginal Spirituality

Aboriginal Spirituality

The first belief system in aboriginal spirituality is monotheism – a belief in the existence of one God or deity. This belief system was vital because it gave the members of society an opportunity of striving to be like the creator. The people can communicate with their God rather than depending on their religious leaders to act as conduits or representatives. The second belief system is polytheism – worshiping or a belief in multiple deities or gods. This belief was also crucial because aboriginal spirituality incorporated not only new gods but also ideas into their belief system. The people had an opportunity of allowing different gaieties or gods to exist simultaneously since there were so many problems that could not be addressed by one god (Preston et al., 2017). The last belief system is materialism – explaining reality in a simple form. It was an important belief system since it allowed people to connect between the physical world and their realities, truths, and spirituality.

The aboriginal community highly respected their places of worship as they were considered sacred. According to Crawley (2018), people regularly met at these places to connect with their deities and gods. It was also a place where they offered their prayers, sacrifices, dances, and songs. It was also a place they could meet to express their faith. These places were highly reserved and protected. For instance, in 2011, in South Australia, the authorities banned sailing on Lake Eyre because of the spiritual significance attached to it by the Arabana people.

The first simple used by the aboriginal communities is the medicine wheel. It was considered the summary of the beliefs of the native communities just as the bible is a summary of beliefs of the Christians. The symbols instills the value of self-confidence among the people since they feel protected. It also fosters the value of respect and equality as it represents togetherness and a feeling of self-satisfaction. The second symbol is the feather. It symbolizes majesty, protection, attainment, and power and the connection among the people (Davis, 2017). Therefore, it helps people prioritize unity, self-confidence, satisfaction, and power. Another symbol is the moon. It is the embodiment of perpetual renewal, rhythm, cyclic time, and feminine power (Dussart & Morphy, 2017). It prioritizes the place of women in religion and the attainment of not only physical strength but spiritual power as well.

The first ritual in the aboriginal communities is the putting of ochre on their foreheads, chests, and on top of their palms. This ritual reflected their beliefs in having a connection with their deities since it signified their readiness and openness to receive information. The second ritual is the rubbing of soil in their armpits to take on their smell and then releasing it into the land. It reflected their self-confidence since it signified that they had told the ancestral spirit to protect them as they traveled on the ground. Another ritual is the placing of rock under their armpits and releasing it into the river. It gave them self-confidence and a feeling of protection since it symbolized they were making the water spirits aware of their presence for protection.

The first festival is the Morning Dance. It was performed during every spring. The participants could cleanse themselves and lead to surrounding a tree with dance and songs. The climax is a massive feasting of fish and meat. It is almost the same with that of Lord’s Supper among the Christians in terms of cleansing before it is partaken.  The Sun Dance is another festival that took place during winter in the Great Plains. It took around eight to sixteen days, where the participants respect the sun as the giver of life. Prayers are said to all people, giving sacrifices, and they acknowledge the Great Sprit (McGrath & Phillips, 2008). It is similar to the Easter Festival among the Christians in terms of a specified period, sacrifices, prayers, and acknowledging a supreme being.

The first belief is that it is the responsibility of man to take care of the land. This belief is applicable today, as it reminds me of protecting the environment from harmful practices. It is true today in the growing climatic challenges affecting the human population. Another aboriginal spirituality belief is that all people are equal. This belief is applicable in treating everyone with respect. It true in a continuously divided world in terms of sex, race, gender, and religion.

References

Davis, V. (2017). My meeting place: Rearming ourselves with cultural knowledge, spirituality a nd commu nity connectedness. International Journal of Narrative Therapy & Community Work, (3), 5.

Dussart, F., & Morphy, H. (2017). Aboriginal religions in Australia: An anthology of recent writings. Routledge.

Crawley, M. (2018). Aboriginal Beliefs and Reincarnation. Religious Traditions: A New Journal in the Study of Religion/Journal of Studies in the Bhagavadgita, 6(1).

McGrath, P., & Phillips, E. (2008). Aboriginal spiritual perspectives: research findings relevant to end-of-life care. Illness, Crisis & Loss, 16(2), 153-171.

Preston, J. P., Claypool, T. R., Rowluck, W., & Green, B. (2017). Perceptions and practices of principals: Supporting positive educational experiences for Aboriginal learners. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 20(3), 328-344.