Traditional stories written by Aboriginals are referred to as Dreamtime Stories. Dreamtime Stories are tales of how native Australian animals came to be, or other stories of creations, such as the sky or plants. For example, how the kangaroo got its pouch.
The tale about how the kangaroo got its pouch is an Aboriginal story that had been passed on through generations. What happens in this Dreamtime Story is that the baby joey keeps running away and then the mother kangaroo sees a predator and the joey comes running back. The joey then jumps onto the mother (where the pouch would be) and starts digging and hides under her skin. This then turns into her pouch. And that is how the kangaroo got its pouch. The kangaroo that was said to have a “tender heart” from dreamtime stories. This is a primary source as it was passed on and created during the time period. An Aboriginal then published it into a book whom had heard the story before. Before it was published it had been passed through many clans by mouth. |
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As dreamtime knowledge was unable to be written down, they were passed on through stories, song cycles, ceremonies, laws, dances and arts. Some Dreamtime knowledge was so important that they would not be passed down to children until they were adults; as for they were then trustworthy. This was referred to secret sacred knowledge.
The laws amongst an Aboriginal clan/group were all very different depending on which clan they were from. This was because their laws were made based on their Dreamtime Stories. Dreamtime Stories were not passed on to different clans they often stayed with in the one clan/group.
When a crime was committed you were unable to run away and join another clan, as they would not accept you because the elderly would pass on messages to each other about what was happening at the time.
The laws amongst an Aboriginal clan/group were all very different depending on which clan they were from. This was because their laws were made based on their Dreamtime Stories. Dreamtime Stories were not passed on to different clans they often stayed with in the one clan/group.
When a crime was committed you were unable to run away and join another clan, as they would not accept you because the elderly would pass on messages to each other about what was happening at the time.