Student Number: 11577474 Name: Alanah Williams IKC101 Assessment 1

IKC101 Assessment 1

Name: Alanah Williams

Student Number: 11577474

Subject Code & Title: IKC101 - Indigenous Australian Cultures, Histories and
Contemporary Realities

Assignment Title: Document for Professional Peers

Value: 20%

Submission Date: Monday 1 August 2016

Length required: 1000 words (+/- 10%) Actual length: 928

Statement of Authenticity: I declare that the work within this assignment is my

own, that it has not been submitted previously and that I acknowledge the
ideas of other authors throughout.

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Student Number: 11577474 Name: Alanah Williams IKC101 Assessment 1

Indigenous Australian Cultures

The Dreaming

The Dreaming – formerly known as The Dreamtime – is Aboriginal religion (MacDonald,

1998). Over fifty thousand years ago, there was a time of art where the Ancestors of
Aboriginal People created their country (MacDonald, 1998). The land was modified to create
the country we live in today – the mountains, rivers, animals and even plants. The Ancestors
also created a set of laws for the present and future Aboriginal People to abide by to look
after their creations (Clarke, 2003). Today the past Ancestors from the Dreaming are
perceived as Spiritual Ancestors who still influence the country.
According to Fryer-Smith (2008), Spiritual Ancestors have the power to cut into human lives.
The Spiritual Ancestors exist to ensure that humans are maintaining the land, animals and
plants of their world. The Wangjina – who is responsible for the rain and fertility of the land
throughout the Kimberly– when offended may punish the country by creating devastation
through floods and cyclones (Fryer-Smith, 2008).
Fryer-Smith (2008), explains that all the language groups throughout Australia had different
perceptions of the Dreaming. The Eastern Kulin language group consisted of two groups –
Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung who spoke very similar languages. Because of the shared
languages and spiritual beliefs, they were then claimed the nation of Kulin. They claimed the
area of the Werribee River and the Dandenong Ranges (Presland, 2010). Eastern Kulin had
their own beliefs of the Dreaming – the Aboriginal world and humans within that world
were created by Bunjil (an eagle hawk) and Waa (a crow).
Although the Dreaming is connected to the past, the knowledge passed down is of utter
importance to Aboriginal People of today for understanding their history, and how to look
after what was created so many years ago (Clarke, 2003). The term ‘The Dreamtime’
suggested that it only existed in the past – The Dreaming however, proves to make more
sense as the knowledge and customs of the land still exist today and will continue to
(Stanner, 1990).

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Student Number: 11577474 Name: Alanah Williams IKC101 Assessment 1

Kinship

According to Fryer-Smith (2008), kinship “…provides a powerful framework for individual

identity, stable relationships and group cohesion.” The kinship is a system that displays
relationships between Indigenous Australian blood-related families and outer social groups -
who may be very distantly connected, or have no blood relation at all. The more remote
members of a kinship, the more complicated it becomes to keep track of (Keen, 2004). The
kinship system also shows people outside of their interactions limits – there are laws that
describe some people within different language groups are to be avoided (Fryer-Smith,
2008).
Kinships become very complex when you start looking into the descents of children –
whether they are from patrilineal or matrilineal nations. Depending on what nation they
come from – which is determined by their parents nations in which they come from –
determines their kinship structure which includes their skin names, language group and
totems that represent where they come from (Fryer-Smith, 2008).
Totems are an important part of kinship for Indigenous People as they represent such an
important part of their history to continue into the future. A totem is a symbol, which may
be in the form of an animal or plant, which is passed down through generations of
Aboriginal People to represent their language group – a spiritual emblem (Bani, 2004). A
totem also represents the roles and responsibilities of the language group, and the
relationships to the land through the Dreaming (Bani, 2004). The Dreaming talks about their
history and how their land came to be, and kinship systems provide each person within a
language group a responsibility to their land (Keen, 2004).
Totems are also used to connect all Indigenous language groups together, through kinship
all over Australia (Fryer-Smith, 2008). Along with relationships between people, the kinship
system plays an important role in economic and social matters such as marriage, education,
sharing and food gathering (Fryer-Smith).

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Student Number: 11577474 Name: Alanah Williams IKC101 Assessment 1

Economic Organisation

Some totems were used as representations of the land – and the Dreaming provided
information on how to look after it. Each Indigenous language group has knowledge of their
land, how it changes over time through seasons and what is within their land – the plants,
rivers, animals (Fryer-Smith, 2008). Although the Indigenous People look after the land, they
do not own it as such – they are carers for the land, it’s their home, they know how it works,
how to look after it. The land has been central to Indigenous People forever and they have
looked after it but taking from it, by also giving back: reciprocity. Reciprocity has been
demonstrated through various acts of regeneration – through the harvesting of plants and
re-planting seeds from those plants, firestick farming where sections of land were burnt off
for replenishment for the following year of harvest (Fryer-Smith, 2008). It also warned
animals in that area to move on, to other land, to be safe from the fire. By looking after the
land, the land looks after them by providing food from animals and plants (Fryer-Smith,
2008). According to Fryer-Smith (2008), the land also provided a means of shelter and tools
to also aid in Indigenous People’s lives. This knowledge of how to care for the land and live
off it is passed down through generations, through Dreaming stories, ceremonies and
practical teaching (Fryer-Smith, 2008).

Along with looking after the land, Fryer-Smith (2008), states that Indigenous Australian’s not
only looked after the land, but also adapted to it. Indigenous People learnt the way the land
changed over seasons and that knowledge was then passed down. As long as the Indigenous
People looked after their land, their home, it will always look after them.

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Student Number: 11577474 Name: Alanah Williams IKC101 Assessment 1

References

o Bani, E. (2004). What is a totem? In R. Davis (ed). Woven Histories, Dancing Lives:
Torres Strait Islander Identity, Culture and History. (p. 151). Canberra: Aboriginal
Studies Press.

o Clarke, P. (2003). Where the ancestors walked: Australia as an Aboriginal

landscape. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. Chapter 2 (pp. 15-29).

o Edwards, B. (1998). Living the Dreaming. In Bourke, C., Bourke, E. & Edwards, B.
(Eds). Aboriginal Australia: An Introductory reader in Aboriginal Studies. (2nd ed.).
(pp.77-99). St Lucia: University of Queensland Press.

o Fryer-Smith, S. (2008). Aboriginal Benchbook for Western Australia Courts. (2nd

ed.). Australian Institute for Judicial Administration Incorporated, Melbourne:
Victoria. Chapter 2 (pp. 34-62).

o Keen, I. (2004). Kinship and marriage. In Aboriginal economy and society: Australia
at the threshold of colonisation (pp. 174-179). South Melbourne, Vic. : Oxford
University Press.

o MacDonald, G. (1998). Continues of Wiradjuri tradition. In Edwards, W.H. (Ed.),

Traditional Aboriginal Society: An Introductory reader in Aboriginal Studies (2nd
ed.) (pp.297-312). South Melbourne: MacMillan.

o Presland, G. (2010). First People: The Eastern Kulin of Melbourne, Port Phillip and
Central Victoria. (pp. 10-20). Melbourne: Museum Victoria Publishing.

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Student Number: 11577474 Name: Alanah WilliamsIKC101 Assessment 1

IKC101 ASSESSMENT 1 MARKING CRITERIA

Assessable Component HD D C P F
17-20 15-16.5 13-14.5 10-12.5 0-9.5
Defines and explains Holistic Indigenous Each topic is accompanied Explains 2 sub-topics for Outlines all 3 topics. Each Explores fewer than 3
foundational aspects of principles are examined. by at least one specific each topic, presenting topic contains a definition topics, or explores
Indigenous cultures. Conveys links between all example from an more detailed and an explanation. different topics to those
3 topics, sub-topics, identified language group. information. Describes Outlines broad and requested without
explanations and the Each topic explains the connections between the 2 relevant ideas. Points justification. Definitions or
identified Indigenous role and function of the chosen sub-topics and how supported by academic explanations are missing.
principles. Examines the topic in Indigenous they relate to the topic. sources Presents Irrelevant or
contribution of each topic societies and lives. Points Points supported by inaccurate ideas. Points
to Indigenous cultures. supported by academic academic sources not supported by academic
Points supported by sources sources
academic sources
Explains Indigenous The content relating to At least one topic Each topic describes more The explanation for each Does not recognize
Australian cultural cultural diversity provides compares and contrasts detailed information topic contains broad cultural diversity. Presents
diversity. an examination of examples from two about cultural diversity in statements that outline irrelevant or inaccurate
similarities and language groups that relation to the topic, cultural diversity specific ideas. Points not
differences between demonstrate cultural including reasons for to that topic. Points supported by academic
Indigenous cultures. differences relating to that cultural diversity. Points supported by academic sources
Points supported by topic. Provides reasons for supported by academic sources
academic sources the difference/s. Points sources
supported by academic
sources
Selects and uses All language and Language and Any racial or historical Avoids common Common terminology
appropriate terminology uses are terminology choices allow terms used are terminology issues. Uses issues are evident, such as
terminology and appropriate and informed. for diversity and do not accompanied by an appropriate non-racial non-capitalisation, use of
respectful language. ‘generalise’ Indigenous explanation. terms to describe groups inappropriate words
people or cultures. of people. without context or
explanation (e.g. half-caste,
native, tribe),
interchangeable use of
Indigenous and Aboriginal,
use of words such as ‘they’,
‘we’, ‘our’, ‘their’, other
issues.

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Student Number: 11577474 Name: Alanah WilliamsIKC101 Assessment 1

Uses formal language Writing shows control and Written expression and There are no errors There are few errors. There are serious errors.
and fulfils the technical skilful construction of referencing show clear relating to writing and Uses formal written Informal or inappropriate
aspects of the task. expression to convey organisation. Uses a references. Uses formal expression with fewer written expression is
specific understandings. variety of techniques to written expression than 6 instances of slang, evident and there are more
Seamlessly integrates incorporate source consistently without contractions, spelling, than 6 instances of slang,
citations and referencing material and citations. errors. There are no punctuation or contractions, spelling,
into the writing. imprecise or unsupported grammatical errors. Uses punctuation or
statements or full sentences grammatical errors.
generalisations. Uses the consistently. Paragraphs Phrases or run-on
APA reference system identify and explore one sentences are used
without error. idea. Paragraphs are habitually. Paragraphs are
linked using effective unfocused, too long or too
methods. Content is short, or links between
accurate and supported; paragraphs are
there are fewer than 3 undeveloped. Content is
instances of unsupported not supported; there are
assertions and/or more than three instances
inaccuracies. At least 3 of unsupported assertions
required readings and 1 and/or inaccuracies.
self-located reading are Fewer than 3 required
cited and referenced. readings are cited and
Shows judgement in referenced. The self-
choosing reliable, located reference is not
relevant, academic included or is not
sources of information. appropriate. APA
Uses the APA referencing referencing is not used.
system; there may be Referencing style is
some errors however inconsistent showing a
there is consistency in lack of understanding of its
approach. Within purpose. There is evidence
specified word count. All of unacknowledged
task requirements have sources or plagiarism.
been met and submitted. Under or over specified
word count. One or more
task requirements are
unmet or missing.

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Student Number: 11577474 Name: Alanah WilliamsIKC101 Assessment 1

Achievements:

Things to improve:

Overall:

Marker: Date: Mark: /20