Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Glossary

Can also be known as corroborees being dramatic representations, in mime and song, of the histories and spiritual beliefs and survival skills.

In Aboriginal English, a person’s land, sea, sky, rivers, sites, seasons, plants and animals,place of heritage, belonging and spirituality: is called ‘Country’.

Shared stories, beliefs, attitudes, behaviours or practices that give a group or individual a sense of who they are and help them make sense of the world in which they live. Culture is a shared system but inherently diverse – it is a lens through which we see the world (NSW PDHPE Syllabus pg: 127)

A western term used to describe the Aboriginal Spirituality system. The dreaming encompasses all the cultural values, laws and knowledge which is passed down through song, dance painting and storytelling to each generation. Each language group has their own term to describe their belief system.

Highly respected Aboriginal people held in esteem by their communities for their wisdom,cultural knowledge and community service. They are responsible for making decisions within the community.

A term used to define a higher creator spirit.

Traditional kinship relations continue to play a role in contemporary Aboriginal communities.While Australian family life often centres on the nuclear family made up of parents and children, Aboriginal family life includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins and the mob.

Also known as Lore. Handed down by the Creation Ancestors and upheld by Aboriginal communities for thousands of generations, Law includes the accepted and traditionally patterned ways of behaving and shared understandings relating to land, language, ways of living, kinship, relationships and identity.

Refers to the customs and stories the Aboriginal peoples learned from the Dreamtime. Aboriginal lore was passed on through the generations through songs, stories, and dance and it governed all aspects of traditional life. It is common to see the terms ‘law’ and ‘lore’being used interchangeably.

A way to refer to a group of Aboriginal people who have a connection to one another. For example, ‘my mob comes from Walgett’ or ‘that mob travelled along way.’

These are significant areas which include, but are not limited to natural landmarks and waterways that hold meaningful stories of creation and continued knowledge for ceremonial practices.

A songline is a track across the land, sky or sea following a journey of a Creation Ancestor.Songlines are recorded in Creation stories, songs, paintings and dance. A knowledgeable person is able to navigate across the land by repeating the words of the songs describing the location of landmarks, waterholes and other natural phenomena. By singing the songs in the appropriate sequence, Indigenous people could navigate vast distances. Australia contains an extensive system of songlines, many that pass through multiple Aboriginal countries.

A natural object or animal that is believed by a particular Aboriginal first nations group to have spiritual significance.

Senior people in the community, who are responsible for their traditional land and waters,are referred to as ‘Traditional Owners’.