Spears: Form & Function
Prior to invasion, the spear was the principle weapon used in Australia by Aboriginal people for hunting and combat purposes. In its simplest form a traditionally produced spear is a weapon consisting of a...
Category: Culture
Native Title is NOT Land Rights
The way in which a Koori person identifies with our culture, Country and history is complex. Each of us are the sum of over 65,000 years of unbroken history, family bonds and cultural practices,...
The Dingo: A native dog?
The Dingo (Canis dingo) is an animal which is shrouded in legend and many falsehoods. As a companion and hunting partner of Australia’s First Peoples, who are mythologised and misunderstood on an even greater...
Cleverman – The First Aboriginal Superhero?
“I wanted to create a superhero for my son,” says Ryan Griffen, the creator of ABC TV (Australia) / Sundance (USA) co-production of Cleverman. Set in a dystopian future, Cleverman is a new television series...
Were Aboriginal Australians Nomadic: Fact or Fiction?
One of the first ‘facts’ commonly taught when it comes to Aboriginal culture, history and people is the notion that prior to invasion all Aboriginal people were nomadic. This is an idea that exists and flourishes, despite...
Cultural Diversity in Aboriginal Art: It’s Not Just Dots
When you turn on the TV, open a book, flick through a newspaper or browse the internet, it’s likely that if you encounter a story about Aboriginal people written by a non-Indigenous person, you’ll...
If Everyone Cared: Margaret Tucker
Book Review Margaret Tucker’s If Everyone Cared is a book that is both significant as a matter of national record, and of personal relevance to me, as it deals with my own family’s history...
Modified Trees (Scar Trees)
Modified trees or ‘scar trees’ are trees which have been modified by Aboriginal people for a variety of different uses. Modifications include carved artworks and scars resulting from: The creation of wood or bark...
