Religion & Belief Systems in Australia Post-1945

Question 1

Kinship

Answer 1

• the system of relationship traditionally accepted by a particular culture and the rights and obligations they involve
• define where a person fits into the community, binding people together in relationship of sharing and obligation.

Question 2

Ceremonial Life

Answer 2

• traditionally Aboriginal peoples have a rich ceremonial life
• There are rites of passage, such as initiation and death and burial, and periodic ceremonies.

Question 3

Death and Burial Rituals

Answer 3

• For Aboriginal people, death is. It the end of life but the last ceremony in the present life
• They believe the spirits of the dead return to the Dreaming places they had come from

Question 4

Totem

Answer 4

• A totem identifies one’s kinship line
• determines the rights and duties of a person in the tribe and their place within it
• each person has a duty to preserve the creature or element of the land which is their totem

Question 5

Initiation

Answer 5

• Marks a transition from childhood
• involves; passing on sacred knowledge and culture, circumcision, marking of the body, physical testing, -and a period of seclusion.
• gives the person a new name and symbol