The Dreaming, according to the Australian Government website, means to ‘see and understand the law’.

We have all heard about how aboriginal storytellers pass on their important knowledge, culture and belief systems to later generations. They use song, dance, painting and stories to express these dreams stories. All these stories demonstrate the close relationships between land, animals and people. They remind us we are all in a complex network of life forms, interacting constantly with one another. 

Aboriginals have maintained a rich cultural heritage and a link with the ancient times. Studies showed the cultural history dated back between 50,000 to 65,000 years ago. There were over 600 different Aboriginal nations, based on language groups, inhibiting the land before the arrival of European settlements in Australia. In tribal societies, traditional knowledge, law and religion relies heavily on the Dreaming stories with its rich explanations of land formations, animal behaviour and plant remedies.

In most stories of the Dreaming, the Ancestor Spirits came to the earth in human form and as they moved through the land, they created the animals, plants, rocks and other forms of the land. They also created the relationships between groups and individuals to the land, the animals and other people.

Once the Ancestor Spirits had created the world, they changed into trees, the stars, rocks, watering holes or other objects. These are the sacred places of Aboriginal culture and have special properties. Because the ancestors did not disappear at the end of the Dreaming, but remained in these sacred sites, the Dreaming is never-ending, linking the past and the present, the people and the land. Our connection with the land and animals never cease, as long as we live. 

However, it is not hard to see in our modern digital society, it may feel as if we are no longer bounded by nature, we have become independent and all powerful. But of course, in truth, we can never disconnect. We may act that way, we may disrespect or forget about this connection but we are still deeply dependent on nature to provide food, energy and shelter. 

So what happened? When and where did we lose sight? 

In my studies of mythology and psychology, the notion that modern society no longer holds myths came up. Joseph Campbell wrote about this subject for over 20 years, where one of the functions of mythology is to evoke in the individual a sense of grateful, affirmative awe before the monstrous mystery that exists (e.g. the power of a tornado or volcano eruption). Another function of a mythological order is to validate and maintain a certain sociological system: a shared set of rights and wrongs in our society. I called it the moral function (e.g. it is wrong to be cruel to animals).

There are wisdom and functions in myths, as they are the projections of our conscious and unconscious fear, hope and desire. So now, when we forget our connection with nature or are no longer necessarily surrounded by strong moral values, we lose touch with who we really are. We are part of the land, and we all have a relationship with other people, plants and animals, as we are co-inhabiting on Earth. So let’s be mindful and grateful of the relationships and never lose sight of who we really are. 

“As we are part of the land, you too are part of the land. This earth is precious to us. It is also precious to you. One thing we know: there is only one God. No man, be he Red Man or White Man, can be apart. We are brothers after all.’ – Chief Seattle’s Letter 

 I think the last paragraph of Chief Seattle’s Letter really said it all. You can read the entire letter in my other article for this month. Click here.