In his article “Steel Axes for Stone-Age Australians,” Lauriston Sharp discusses the traditional Yir Yoront culture of Australia in the mid 1930s and the importance and function of the stone axe in the in terms of technology, conduct, and belief in the culture. Sharp evaluates that the colonization of various Europeans had resulted into the introduction of new technologies that they had brought along with them. The article mainly focuses on the steel axes that were introduced which outweighed the stone axes previously used by these people and has thus drastically affected the Yir Yoront culture. Ultimately, the author concludes that the traditional culture of this aboriginal tribe had collapsed and a new culture incorporated with European values …show more content…
Technologically, only men possessed the knowledge about the materials used and the techniques of manufacturing the stone axes. Women and children could use the axes, but were not allowed to make them. The stone axe had become an integral part of the society and was used for many activities, such as obtaining food, household purposes, building huts, cutting firewood etc. There was a certain area where the stones necessary for making these axes were found. This formed a chain of tradesmen throughout the country. People would exchange readymade stone axes with the raw materials amongst each other. This was evident in the kinship patterns, based on “pair relationships,” which defined who could own an axe and from whom one would borrow an axe based on gender, age, and kinship roles. This formed a certain kind of hierarchy. Finally, in terms of the Yir Yoront cultural system, “the stone axe in all its aspects, uses, and associations was integrated into the context of the Yir Yoront technology and conduct because a myth, a set of ideas, had put it there” (20). People in this culture believed that everything that was the part of their culture and everything that an individual in the tribe did was an important link to their past. They believed they were following their ancestors and were meant to do that. The stone axe played an important part in this belief system because it was believed to have descended from their
First, Paleolithic Australia was always hunting, gathering and being nomadic during the fifteenth century. Then, in the late eighteenth century Europeans arrived and changed this area. Over many thousands of years, these people have copied many material items and cultural practices from others like outrigger canoes, fish hooks, complex netting techniques, art styles,
Sharp (1952) mentions that the men of each tribe must precisely know where the materials used to create the stone axes in their surrounding environment (p. 552). From a functionalist perspective, the men’s craft of the stone axes serve as an important contribution to the tribes due to the fact that they use the axes for daily tasks (Schaefer 2016, p. 12). With the stone ax, the women would often use it to obtain firewood for their “family campfire” that they have for cooking, protection, and warmth (Sharp 1952, p. 552). This would serve as another part of the Yir Yoront’s lives as the members rotate between the men performing the hard labor tasks of hunting animals and crafting stone axes and the women preserving the way of life for the children. Moreover, the stone ax was utilized to place the stronger and older men at the top of their society through the women and children respecting them (Sharp 1952, p. 553).
In his classic essay Steel Axes for Stone Age Australians, the anthropologist Lauriston Sharp described how, among Australia 's Yir Yoront aborigines, only senior men knew how to make stone axes, and this allowed them to maintain their authority over women and junior men, who had to borrow an axe from a senior man whenever they needed one. However, missionary workers gave the aborigines steel axes, without preferring senior men over the others - indeed senior men avoided the missionaries and tended to lose out in the distribution of steel axes. This removed the basis of the senior men 's authority and led to a breakdown in the aborigines ' whole social order. Similar social transformations may have been triggered by the switch from stone to
Tomahawk The tool I’m writing about is the Tomahawk(small throwing weapon.) pre- columbian tribes need this weapon because it has many different uses. They also need this tool because it is very important to many tribes. The Tomahawk is small.
Australia was settled by the British in 1788 as a convict colony but without the Aboriginal contact and consequences, experience of non-Europeans, the gold rushes and their political, social and economical impact on the nation, the Depression in the 1890’s and living and working conditions all contributed to what our nation is today. Within 120 years as a result of aboriginal contact with Europeans the experience of non-Europeans, the social, political and economical impacts of the gold rushes of the 1850’s, the depression in the 1890’s and the living and working all contributed to what Australia became in 1914. As the colony of the nation expanded, some settlers came into conflict with the aboriginal people. The aboriginal people reacted
Their belief that their ancestors would provide life sustaining things such as health, rain and etc. The society were high believer in
Regrettably, the impacts of colonisation have had detrimental effects on the Indigenous cultures remaining within Australia, being effected largely by media stereotypes and false accusations. Understandably, a mistrust for the government has developed throughout generations within Aboriginal communities, as years of slavery, pain, grief, depression and sorrow were caused by the Australian
Week ones study was focused on the Aboriginal Acknowledgement of Country and the Indigenous terms of reference. These are two very important topics as they focus on the interaction between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians, fostering a relationship a relationship of trust, respect and understanding. A proper understanding of the Aboriginal Terms of Reference is an integral tool for an aspiring teacher such as myself. They encompass the cultural knowledge, understanding and experiences that are at the center of the Indigenous culture (Oxenham, 1999).
Define and explain the notion of Katatjin (Knowledge), Boodjar (country) and Moort (family) and explain how the relationship between land, people and knowledge in the shared space of the South-west of Australia can be utilised. It is important to understand the Noongar trilogy of belief. The boodjar (land), is considered the mother and caregiver, moort is family and relations and katijin is knowledge and cosmological stories. Together these form a symbiotic relationship which is considered the "web of life" by Noongars (Collard 2007). In the south-west the term Noongar is the name given to aboriginal people who were the original inhabitants of the land (Collard et al. 2004).
Aboriginal people have a long history of traditions, but many of these traditions were altered or
They found it crucial to continue their beliefs and traditions. They believed they were effective and kept them content. Some examples of these traditions were the Naming Ceremony, tribal dances, and their Dreaming Journey. Along with all this, the quote talks about telling their grandchildren the ways of their people. This is because it was one of their culture’s customs.
Indigenous Australian youth still face numerous difficulties growing up in a modern Australian society, even though they are living in a time of ‘equality’ for all religions, races and genders. This paper examines the main cultural influences for indigenous youth, and challenges they face growing up. In particular, it will explore the ways in which Indigenous youth today continue to be affected, connected and interdependent to both a dominant white culture and indigenous culture. It also includes the reasons why the indigenous youth of Australia continue to be marginalized, oppressed and stereotyped while growing up in a society that claims to be an egalitarian democratic country. Examples of Indigenous youth from the film ‘Yolngu Boy’ are used to explore this topic.
Many traditional Cherokees believe that after one dies, his or her soul often continues to live on as a ghost (Cherokee Indian Religion). They are supposed to have the ability to materialize where some but not all can see them. More fundamental beliefs that they follow is that good is rewarded, and evil is punished, and witchcraft among the Cherokee does not resemble that of non-Indian cultures (Cherokee Indian Religion). Even though they follow a strict belief system and everything had a purpose and was thought out, there are times when punishments cannot be explained. When someone does something right, it is rewarded either by being ranked higher or having individual honors or privileges within the society.
Native Americans have a really diverse culture and one report is not enough to talk about all of their cultures. They have fourteen tribes so it is obvious that they will have a lot of different cultures and traditions between all fourteen tribes. It is impossible to have fourteen tribes with different people and expect them to all believe in the same things so some of them have different beliefs and different traditions. They worshipped a lot of gods and even some of the gods had dolls made for them. Some tribes worshipped the sun or fire or some serpents.
I. Introduction A. Attention Gainer: How many of you are interested in traveling abroad? For those who raised their hand, have you ever considered traveling to Australia? B. Reason to Listen: Whether you have thought about it or not, there are many interesting aspects of the Australian culture. You may listen to what we have to say about the unique culture and consider it as an ideal destination if you do end up studying abroad!