The expression “dreamtime” is often used to refer to the “time before time”, or “the time of the creation of all things”, while “Dreaming” is often used to refer to an individual's or group's beliefs.

Sometimes creating their surroundings and sometimes changing into animals or people, the Dreamtime reflected the events and characters of daily life in the Australian desert.

The Dreamtime for Aboriginal people is the time which the earth received its present form and in which the patterns and cycles of life begun.

The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia at least 1,500 years ago and is still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe".

The Australian Aboriginal flag represents Indigenous Australians. It is one of the official “Flags of Australia”, and holds special legal and political status but it is not the “Australian National Flag”.

The flag was designed in 1971 by Aboriginal artist Harold Thomas

The symbolic meaning of the flag colors (as stated by Mr. Harold Thomas) are: Black: Represents the Aboriginal people of Australia Red: Represents the red earth, the red ochre and a spiritual relation to the land Yellow: Represents the Sun, the giver of life and protector

The symbolic meaning of the flag colors (as stated by Mr. Harold Thomas) are: Black: Represents the Aboriginal people of Australia Red: Represents the red earth, the red ochre and a spiritual relation to the land Yellow: Represents the Sun, the giver of life and protector

Australia Aborigines created stories to teach each other about the Dreamtime, these stories taught about life, including birth, love, food gathering, hunting, warfare, marriage and death but also about the Creation.

Place

Travel

Men

Women

The Aboriginal traditional way to educate about the Aboriginal History, Culture and Laws was storytelling, using a combination of Arts form such as painting, singing, music and dancing to illustrate the ancient "Dreamtime Stories".

Traditionally, people telling a story would use the haunting sound of the didgeridoo with song and dances, but also symbolic drawing were created.

These designs were traditionally used as body paint decorations for corroborees and as sand paintings for ceremonial purposes

Because the "Stories of the Dreaming" have been handed down through the generations, they are not owned by individuals. They belong to a group, the storytellers is choose by the Elders, and have the obligation to pass the stories along, ensuring that young people build and retain a sense of who they are.

Today paintings are created using modern-day materials, but the use of traditional symbols and art styles helps to keep this ancient culture alive. The symbols used in contemporary Aboriginal paintings are the same as those found on cave paintings and rock Art

Sound: David Hudson – Emu chase

David Hudson - Black Mountain

Pictures & text: net

Arrangement: Sanda Foişoreanu