Task: Executive Summary

Task: Executive Summary

Research Topic: Contemporary Aboriginal Spirituality

Year: 3

Team Members: DAVID JOHNSON ( 200411670 )

FEIRAN ALISA HUANG ( 200431329 )

ARASH KATRAK (0412327)

1.0 Executive Summary

Religious Spiritual believes are derived from a sense of belonging- to the land, to the sea, to other people, to one’s culture. The living condition of the local Aboriginal populations located at Redfern is at the state of great decline. The lack of support from Government and the constant battle with violence, drugs and social injustice have also triggered the decline of their contemporary spirituality within the community.

1.1Critical Overview

• The Lost-Generation and how that impacts their contemporary spiritual believes.
• The impact of Catholic spirituality within Redfern community from 1970 to current.
• Contemporary view on Aboriginal Dream Time spirituality within Redfern.

1.2The Lost Generation, the lost spirituality

Background

Between 1910 and 1970, because of the Federal and state Government Policy to “assimilate Aboriginal children into European society”, up to 100,000 mostly under 5 years old, Aboriginal children were removed forcibly from their families by police or welfare officer. They were mostly raised in church or state institutions and some were fostered or adopted by white families. They were called “ The Stolen Generation”. Poor living conditions, physical and sexual abuse, little educations as well as the fact that been orphans, family visits were discouraged. Thus there’s no Aboriginal language for them to speak and no practicing of their ceremonies. As a result, there are physical and emotional damages to those children. They are lack of family ties or culture identity, and self-esteem. They suffered from insecurity, and worthless. As parents, they had difficulty bringing up their own children.

Because of the influence of the European culture in “The Stolen Generation”, Christianity takes an important part of the contemporary Aboriginal Spirituality.

The integration of Christianity and Aboriginal belief systems

Many Aboriginal people today have connected Christianity into their existing Aboriginal beliefs . Thus the Aboriginal Chritian Church movements occurred , (mainly) Protestant Aboriginal churches and many churches have begun to bring their traditional cultural practices to different aspects of the life of the church, in ceremonies and ritual life. There are also Aboriginal ministries.

In nowdays Aboriginal spirituality also have impact on some Christian denomination. For example, the “Rainbow Spirit Theology” helps rest of the Australia tap into Aboriginal theology to offer a new understanding of Christianity for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, and helps bring together Aboriginal word views and Christian theology. They also found that there is link between the gospel and Dreaming stories.

1.3The Impact of Catholic Church within Redfern Community

During early 70s until the end of 90s, St Vincent’s church on Redfern Street had played a major role in redeveloping Redfern Aboriginal community spirit; the church helped the locals to establish a sense of belonging. In doing so it had given them new view of how possible to work with new religions in relation to old traditional spirituality of the elders.

Spiritual Leader

Father Ted Kennedy passed away on the 17th of May 2005 had a close bond to the Aboriginal community of Redfern. He’s remembered by the thousands of people he touched in his inner city of Parish of St Vincent’s in Redfern. During 30 years of service, he had put forward countless effort in helping aboriginal communities such as weekly lunch gathering, various social gathering events, encourage volunteer works, he had created a real sharing spirit amounts the community. Father Kenned had given back the Aboriginal people a sense of belonging to the land, and belonging to the church. Aboriginal community of Redfern had a strong moral ownership of his church and its grounds.

“Without knowing anything about Aboriginal people, that was the extraordinary thing. And as soon as he reached Redfern, of course, he encountered the marginalized situation there. And instead of putting it under the carpet he faced it, and he opened his presbytery in 1971 to the homeless Aboriginal people… He welcomed them, and they lived with him – a hundred or so in the presbytery – for years…

Even now I can't walk down Redfern Street without them coming up to ask me how he is. They just loved him, really loved him.”

- MARNIE KENNEDY

1.4Spirituality Lost?

Aboriginal culture is based on an all-encompassing spirituality, traditionally passed through the medium of spoken word or story telling, mainly from the elders to the children. However, the Redfern, Aboriginal spirituality has suffered greatly since white settlement, especially in the last 30yrs.

An interview with Cathy

“The way the aboriginal youth of the area today are mainly ignorant of their spiritual history and culture, drugs, crime, violence disrupt many aspects of their lives…Only the older people of Redfern Aboriginal community know heir traditional spirituality now.”

-Cathy

Redfern Community Renter

Situation with in Rural Areas

In rural areas, the situation may often be different. There are still strong spiritual ties to sacred and special sites. The land nurtures the Aboriginal people who habituate it and in return they have a sacred responsibility to protect it.

After thoughts

During last 40 years or so Aboriginal people have also been free to openly demonstrate and discuss aspects of their own spirituality, in terms of having other religions forced upon them, such as Christianity, and even in areas which seem to have slipped such as Redfern spirituality continues and is evident in many things, we only have to know where and how to see it.