In-depth Reflection on the Impact of Aboriginal Culture in Australia

This essay provides a reflective analysis of Australian Aboriginal culture, emphasizing its historical roots, spiritual values, and profound influence on Australian society. The author, as an Australian, explores the Dreamtime beliefs, the connection with nature, and the diversity within Aboriginal communities. The essay highlights the impact of Aboriginal culture on indigenous languages, music, and the socio-economic well-being of Australia. It discusses how Aboriginal culture contributes to cultural diversity, tourism, and social integration. The author reflects on the sacred relationship with nature and efforts to protect the environment, concluding that Aboriginal culture plays a vital role in enriching the cultural landscape of Australia.

Running Head: REFLECTION ON THE ABORIGINAL CULTURE IN AUSTRALIA
REFLECTION ON THE ABORIGINAL CULTURE IN AUSTRALIA
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

REFLECTION ON THE ABORIGINAL CULTURE IN AUSTRALIA
As an Australian, I always boast over the beauty of the distinctiveness of Australian culture
which can be attributed to the existence of aboriginal community in Australia. The diversity latent in their
life-style and culture always makes visitors all around the world curious about Australia. Aboriginal
culture in Australia is the oldest culture that is able to survive and contribute to the cultural diversity of
Australia so far. Recently, due to the use of thermo-luminescence along with other modern techniques to
delve deep into the history and point out the time of inception of the aboriginals; it has been revealed that,
the aboriginals are present in Australia, even in 40, 000 years back. This evokes within me the thirst to
know more about such an ancient culture. This boosted me to find out some amazing facts related to the
cultural values of Australian aboriginals and their influence on Australian culture as well s society.
Driven by my urge to discover different dimensions and impacts of aboriginal culture and values;
I conducted an in depth study of Aboriginal culture. This disclosed the fact that aboriginal culture is
dependent on several practices and ceremonies which are based on the religious worldviews that can be
attributed to the ‘Dreamtime’ beliefs of Australian Aboriginals. The term ‘Dreamtime’, suggested by
anthropologists to signify the religious as well as cultural worldview held by Aboriginals in Australia.
Moreover, the tribes of the aboriginal community exhibit a wide variety of individual cultures. Another
factor which I find attractive about aboriginal culture is their ‘oneness with the nature’
(Hmcs.scu.edu.au 2019). The aboriginal culture suggests that there is a spiritual connection between the
people of the community and the nature that surrounds them. When I studied the beliefs and values in
aboriginal culture emphasize the impacts of nature and landscape in human life, which is again
comparable to the beliefs as well as values depicted in Bible. The similarity reflects in the beliefs of the
aboriginal culture that each of the elements of the nature, for example, rocks, rivers, canyons, waterfalls,
beaches, islands, stars, sun, moon; along with those who are surrounded by nature; carry mysterious
stories behind their creation. Aboriginal culture also indicates that all such mysterious stories are
interconnected and capable of influencing human lives on earth (Culturalsurvival.org 2019).

REFLECTION ON THE ABORIGINAL CULTURE IN AUSTRALIA
The essence of the values of aboriginal culture which I had received from analyzing the history of
their inception of the aboriginals, and their lifestyle and beliefs, made me realize that, aboriginal culture
tends to establish a sacred as well as spiritual relationship with nature. In other words, they are able to
find out godliness in the nature. I become astonished when I came to know about their efforts to protect
the environment as, they believe that the environment is the crux of their existence; it assists them to
remain connected with the universe and feel blessed. This in turn brings them peace and happiness. In
short their deep reverence for the nature helps them to maintain a harmony with their own lands and
animals (InfoPlease 2019).
Being an indigenous Australian, it will be easier for me to trace out the influences of aboriginal
culture in Australian culture and society. The diversity that exists in the culture of the aboriginal people in
Australia has enriched indigenous culture in various ways. The instance of which can be found in the
colorful characteristics of the indigenous culture of Australia. The language of the aboriginals has also
contributed to the diversity in the Indigenous languages as well as the literature. Another interesting fact
which, I have searched out is that, the popular indigenous music of the country, which was basically
inspired by country music and restricted to a limited variety of musical instruments, have been
transformed by aboriginal music (Child Family Community Australia 2019). The variation in the
lyrics and melody in the aboriginal music has added to the overall nourishment of the indigenous music
and introduced wide range musical instruments in the indigenous music of Australia, which were not used
in indigenous music before. I was also able to count the influences that aboriginal society casted upon
Australian society as well as economy through a minute observation. One of the most essential impacts is
on the socio-economic well being. Aboriginals are large in numbers, this is the reason they constitute a
substantial part of the productive labor force of Australia, and this is considered beneficial, from the
socio-economic point of view. A large amount of labor force always adds to the total productivity of a
country as well as its national income. This in turn enhances the standard of living of the society as a
whole. Again, the juxtaposition of indigenous as well as aboriginal community leads to fruitful interaction

REFLECTION ON THE ABORIGINAL CULTURE IN AUSTRALIA
between the communities, made both the communities realize that they are complementary to each other.
This is capable of evoking a sense of brotherhood and integrity (Australia.com 2019).
Hence, the culture and aesthetic values of Australian aboriginals are capable of aiding in the
diversity in culture and human resource which in turn, contributes to the expansion of the travel and
tourism sector along with the other economic sectors of Australia and social and cultural integration of
Australia.

REFLECTION ON THE ABORIGINAL CULTURE IN AUSTRALIA
References
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[Accessed 13 Jun. 2019].
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