Specimen Questions
Revision Questions
- Outline TWO reasons why the land is central of Aboriginal spirituality (2 marks, 50 words)
- Describe the concept of the Dreaming in Aboriginal societies (4 marks, 100 words)
- Briefly explain the Dreaming and its importance for Aboriginal spirituality (5 marks, 130 words)
- Explain what is meant by the following statement "Aboriginal spirituality is as diverse and complex as the people themselves" (5 marks, 130 words)
- Explain how the Dreaming is lived out in the different aspects of life in Aboriginal society (5 marks, 150 words)
- Analyse the significance of the Dreaming for other important aspects of Aboriginal beliefs (7 marks, 200 words)
Sample Responses
Explain the Dreaming and its importance for Aboriginal spirituality
The dreaming is the concept which underpins all beliefs and practices in Aboriginal communities, and thus is important because it defines all relationships and responsibilities for all Aboriginal people. The Dreaming explains why land is critical to the expression of Aboriginal spirituality, as it is through the land that the Dreaming is activated. In other words, the land is where the dreaming and its stories take place, and is the resting place for the ancestral spirit beings, and hence is like a mother for the people. A person's identity is inextricably linked to the land, because an understanding of the land enables them to understand their totemic responsibilities. The Dreaming is also important because it explains the Aboriginal notion of time which is metatemporal, a concept which presents the past, present and future as a complete and present reality. The fact that for Aboriginal communities the telling and learning of the Dreaming stories is a life long process is a reflection of its centrality to Aboriginal spirituality. Similarly, the fact that the Dreaming is frequently communicated through art, song, dance, story and ritual shows that despite the enormously diverse nature of Aboriginal spirituality the Dreaming is the concept that underpins them all.
202 words
Explain how the Dreaming is lived out in the different aspects of life in Aboriginal society.
The Dreaming is the concept which underpins and defines the different aspects of life in aboriginal society. Firstly and most importantly, because the Dreaming represents all that is known and understood by Aboriginal societies it determines all relationships and responsibilities between Aboriginal people. Kinship ties for example are derived from the Dreaming and identify a complex system of responsibilities and relationships towards all others in a clan. Art and symbolism is one way the Dreaming is lived out. The multifaceted nature of Aboriginal art explains how the Dreaming describes the origins and the beginnings of the universe. Story telling is another way the Dreaming is lived out particularly as a way of explaining right and wrongful actions to children. With the Dreaming come totemic responsibilities attached to sacred sites. This is because it is through the land that the stories of ancestral beings flow. Totems are the representation of an Aboriginal person in his or her primordia l state. And subsequently prescribed rituals such as balance rites are undertaken to increase the reproduction of that animal.
175 words