@Loudmouth,

yes, all of that makes sense but the reality is, all cultures change and evolve and stone-age Aboriginal peoples had little to carry with them into a modern world.

They had no cuisine; they had no literature; they had no technology beyond that used in a stone-age world.

Yes, like all human cultures they had music, some of them; primitive art; myths and legends. But all those who live in Australia are connected to such ancient aspects of culture.

As a new nation is created, the old aspects are absorbed and often disappear within a generation, particularly with marrying out.

My Greek great grandfather named all of his children with Greek names but none of them took up the Greek Orthodox religion, none of them cooked Greek food, none of them spoke Greek. Does that matter? Not really, because the Greek mixed in with a dozen other influences over generations to create an Australian. There is nothing particularly Greek about my family and I doubt there is much particularly Aboriginal about many families who feel they are Aboriginal.

Someone once said to me that Aboriginal families are closer - everyone is an auntie or uncle. I could only think, that is how I grew up. That is very English and very European. That is not Aboriginal. It is simply human.

When I lived in India people would say the same things to me about how they were so connected to family and we were not. Untrue. The old lived with the young because there was no choice. The attitudes were no different to my mother's generation and those before her.

Indians see themselves as connected because there are family obligations. Very similar in fact to most Aboriginal cultures which hold the view, what is yours is mine, what you have I can have etc.

Simply humans at different stages of development.

@Paul 1405,

Thousands have been paid for WTC ceremonies.

Quote: Matilda House-Williams, an elder of the Ngambri Clan, went home particularly happy with an undisclosed sum for a welcome-to-country speech of six minutes for Kevin Rudd at the opening of the 42nd Parliament in 2008.[1] She was back (as plain Matilda “House”) in 2010 for Gillard’s 43rd Parliament (fee undisclosed), and again for the 44th Parliament, led by Tony Abbott. This time her fee was disclosed: $10,500, for “entertainment services”. With stakes like that, it’s not surprising that the Ngunnawal clan, led by Aunty Agnes Shea , themselves claimed to be Canberra’s traditional owners. Parliament has now squared the circle by naming both clans as owners.[2]

In Melbourne’s inner-city suburb of Abbotsford, the Wurundjeri Tribe Land & Compensation Cultural Heritage Council Inc. quotes (below) $570 for a Welcome to Country (Community not for profit clients, $470); $300 for a Smoking /Cleansing Ceremony ($300); $820 for a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony ($720); $1700 for Jindyworabak Dancers ($1700) and $250 for didgeridoo player ($250). Travel and parking are included; 10% GST to be added.

https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2016/04/brand-new-timeless-traditions/

Hi Rhross,

Yes, of course all cultures change, or more precisely, cultural practices - some disappear very quickly through redundancy and irrelevance, and what is carried forward - usually not the face-painting, art, stories, dances, frilly stuff (at least in southern South Australia) - becomes a sort of 'dialect' of Australian culture, or the culture of a particular class, or even of a particular family. Culture in a sociological sense, rather than an anthropological sense.

Maybe, until after the War, it was something more related to Oscar Lewis' 'Culture of Poverty', or better, 'Culture of Marginalisation'. In other words, a long way from traditional culture. Maybe urbanisation and inter-marriage and education bring changes on all that.

Cheers,

Joe

@Joe,

In terms of culture, I do believe in cellular memory and indeed, growing research into epigenetics would validate that. Families do pass on cultural attitudes to their children and genetic traits.

I had a complicated relationship with my father, but, it was only when I moved to Melbourne and shared a flat with a girl who had a Greek boyfriend. He was Australian born but both parents were Greek, and had been born in Greece, and they were very much a part of the Greek community and culture. I realised, as I began to mix for the first time in Greek-Australian culture how much that I did not understand about my father, was culturally Greek.

His grandfather was Greek, only one of the four to not be Anglo-European, a mix of German, Danish, English, Scottish, and yet these traits had manifested in him. I doubt he ever made the connection but I did, once exposed to Greek culture, albeit, the Australian version of Greek culture.

I suspect the problem with the minority of Australians with Aboriginal ancestry who are experiencing dysfunction is that they are continuing to 'live' primitive cultural traits which do not fit in a modern world.

The experience made me conclude that the more we can understand about our family and ancestry the more insight we will have into our own nature. Astrology also helps where we have little understanding of our ancestry.

'Astrology also helps where we have little understanding of our ancestry". Interesting, how is that rhross?

@Paul1405,

Astrology can be used very effectively as a psychotherapeutic tool and also shows ancestral influences through maternal and paternal lines. If you do not know who your parents were, it is an additional tool for insight.