The Australian AboriginesFirst published in 1938; this edition is a revised version of The Australian Aborigines; how to understand them 4th ed; New preface discusses the history of the book; Antiquity, origin and migrations, language information; Living off the land, seasons, hunting, artefacts, psychological adaptation, shelters, nomadism; Position amongst the peoples of the world; Tribes and inter-tribal gatherings, customs, local groups, family, kinship, classificatory system, types of systems (Ngarinjen, Nyul Nyul, Aranda, Luritcha, Karadjeri, Kariera); Social groups, section and moieties, alternative and irregular marriages; Kinship avoidance, taboos, methods of obtaining a wife, marriage of old men and young girls, pirauru relationship; Totemism; Secret life and initiation, missionary problems; Meaning and social function of rites; Philosophy and beliefs, increase rites, mythology and mythological figures - sky heroes, mother-goddess cult, rainbow serpent; Art and rituals - 8 art regions, bark paintings, carving; Music and dancing, sacred chanting, musical instruments, secular music, musical patterns, Songman, description of dances, diffusion, poetry, song and chant and cycles; Medicine men and magic, causes of illness and death, making of medicine men; Death, inquest and revenge, burial rites, fate after death; Briefly summarizes the phases of AboriginalEuropean contact and past govt. policies, growing Aboriginal involvement and the development of Aboriginal service and welfare organizations; Mixed-bloods, disintegration of traditional life, and the problems of prejudice; Aboriginality and cultural identity. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Aborigines according Arnhem Land associated Australia become belief belong body bone brother called camp cause Central ceremonial chanting Chapter clan common concerned course cross-cousin cult culture customs dancing daughter death descent designs dream eastern example express fact father followed four function give hand heroes human important includes increase individual initiation interesting kangaroo kinship knowledge language latter living magical marriage marry means medicine-man moiety Moreover mother's mother's brother mythology myths namely natives nature Northern objects organization painted pass past performed person possible practice present referred regard region relations relationship result rites ritual River rules sacred season secret sister social sometimes son's South species spirit stone subsection symbols Territory tion totemic tribal tribes understand usually Western wife woman women