The Men of the Fifth World
They are the original inhabitants of the land called Australia by the white man. They have been there since the beginning of time, since the dream time, when everything they know was created. Their people know how to sing each and every place of this sacred country, while they contemplate Gee, the Sun God. Each song is a living map, which describes a specific path, the course of a river, a mountain or forest. If you brought together all these songs, which are passed down from generation to generation, and which come from dreams, they would compose the map of Australia.
At twilight, the humming of the Didgeridoo, their religious instrument, reminds them who they are and what they are doing there. It is the beat of their tradition, which keeps them united and attached to the land. Yaka Garimala, an Australian aborigine as foreigners call them, is going to tell you what their world is like.
His country is enormous. It is the most beautiful country in the world. They have deserts, jungles, savanna, plateaus and mountains with deep canyons carved by furious torrents. The sea is all around. Along their coast, there are bays and inlets and sacred cliffs like the one of Bickerton Island. This is where he lives.
The elders have the important task of initiating the young into their customs, explaining their history to them and teaching them to respect the traditional laws. They were already there thousands of years ago. They were around at the same time as what the white man call Homo sapiens. In the caves and caverns, they can feel the influence of the spirits of their ancestors. If you sleep there, you can see them in your dreams and receive their messages. They come and fill you with their strength, and when you wake, you feel very good.
These are sacred places for them. In the past, people lived in caves and natural shelters like those. Across all their territory, you can find paintings made by their forefathers in which they speak of the dreamtime, the creation and how they lived 50,000 years ago. In the Kakadu National Park lies a block where the rainbow serpents stopped after creating the world, and was painted on a rock so that people could see her. Over time, their forefathers left on the rocks a complete collection of images which depict their way of life and their beliefs.
i agree with some of things ozzie says but the culture does not have to be completely wiped out. instead they need to be pointed out what is uncivilised and what isn't
Beautiful....endearing... same story worldwide.
Mook: Ozzie sounds like he was 'dragged up' rather than brought up. These issues will always be beyond Oz and his ilk, because he/she has no capacity to join such complex dots to get to the bigger picture. They reduce everything to the simplistic chunks of misinformation - not only to feel empowered by foisting it upon others - but as way of rationalising the issue to accomodate their own limited capacity for intelligent thought. Anything beyond a racist spray would be overwhelming. Oz will never get it, and that's ok - there are enough people of goodwill in this nation to make a difference - Oz's understanding/empathy simply isn't needed.
Ozzie,
I don't know what to say other than I'm truly embarrassed for you and your parents who "brought" you up. Absolutely there is a huge problem in remote communities with our mob. But if you had one iota of intelligence and objectiveness you would try and understand why has one of the world's most complex cultures deteriorate into the precarious culture it is today. You need to understand that our people had an impressive kinship system, a law system and the respect for this planet that the "invaders" ever had or ever will have. Tens of thousands of years of this perfect compatibility with the earth, suddenly to be told not to speak the language, not to perform traditional song and dance and to assimilate in a foreign culture almost "overnight". Exacerbated by the racism, our classification animals and introduction of alcohol and disease from the "invaders". Then "you" have the audacity to say that Australia takes good care of us? Australian welfare system takes care of a myriad of people from all walks of life in all types of situations. To all the people reading this comment, please refer to "Ozzie's" comment above. Clearly from an uneducated, uninformed bigot who has no respect for himself, let alone for other people. I am a proud Aboriginal man from Far North Queensland and I am an informed person who has a full time job, owns his own house and feel's sorry for our "Ozzie". Clearly he has many spiritual levels to reach until he even starts to get it.
Ozzie, you obviously get your false facts from the false media. I get access to small interest free loans and the food bank and I am not aboriginal. Did you know that a lot of remote aboriginal communitys do not get to choose what they eat? They are mostly delivered a truck load of crappy food and soft drinks, the money is taken from their so called benefits. Why arent we all treated like that if morons lie you think that is fair. Its absolutely disgusting. And you Ozzie are a major part of the problem, and all those with your attitude. You all want to rememeber the ANZACS and the Bali Bombings but hey fuck what happened to the 'abos'...get over it. Get over your own selfish ego and learn the true History of this country.
Baiame is the 'creator' in SE Australian Indigenous mythology .... Wiradjeri of Western NSW, Eora and Kamileroi / Gamilaraay of Sydney area etc. In NT thought it was more Altjira (for Arrernte) or Barnumbirr for Yolgnu, Ngintaka for Pitjantjatjara.... This doc seems a strange mix of material....
what is the theme/message/purpose of the film?was there a deeper theme other than the documentary main topic?
As an Australian that is informed on our abos, this doco leaves so much out about an "interesting" race of people
The child abuse in these remote areas is appalling and extremely
common, they marry children to elders. One case last year in the NT
showed that a 4 yearold native girl was so abused she committed suicide. And thats not an isolated case
The goverment keeps them in "dry" communities (no alcohol, no drugs)
for a few different reasons, though all are aimed to cut down abuse and
violence within those native communities.
I understand the "whites" took their country but frankly Australia
takes good care of them, free this free that. No interest loans ect
ect..
Truth is these people are not some great culture to this land, they
are viewed as the parasites that they are to their own children/people
We should of played cowboys and abos....
you definitely sound like an "Australian" that is "informed" on Aboriginals. Just another part of the problem aren't you mate.
Sounded like John Howard was back... :(
Ozzie, abo is a derogatory term, so clearly you have a bias.
G'day Jawnee, welcome to SeeUat Videos mate,
your reply was intended for Ozzie, you can hit reply on his post that you're wanting to reply to. I got the notification of a reply, as you replied to me instead of Ozzie, he'll probably miss your post.
I agree with your post by the way, the term 'abo' generally, and especially in the context it was used, is derogatory, indicating a bias.
Ozzie, yu favor the demise of a race. yu choose whats fair for yu. can robbing a peaciful man be said to be right. but Cain doesnt go unpunished for shedding Abel's blood. so shall these white invaders..babylon shall fall and all shall be amazed
Yet you can't deny my comment though can you
You sound like a real dumb and ignorant redneck. You genocided a people, robbed them of their language, religion, culture, history, land, and money. Put them on some shitty reserves under your white central government. And the government then turns around and after completely destroying the people and gives them a few handouts and you turn around and call them leeches to society.
Ironically you completely ignore that plenty of white Australians engage in child abuse, and child rape, plenty of whites are addicted to drugs and alcohol and white aussies are very violent. That is why guns are bannd down under and most white aussies are descendants of criminals.
If aboriginals still controlled 100% of the land like they did before the white man came, and the whites had to pay market value for those properties in sydney or brisbane, the average aboriginal would be a millionaire. If every time they put up a mine they had to pay the aborginals rather than just murder them and steal the land, the average aboriginal would be a millionaire. Your country is based on stealing from aboriginals. White Australians have very little to be proud of.
so many inaccuracies ... a number of communities themselves applied to become 'dry' due to problems...
and there are also now 'dry' zones in several major cities in Australia due to the problems caused or exacerbated by alcohol consumption. These are applied to all persons.
Australia is one of the most alcohol plagued societies and it is the Aboriginal community that not only has many problems with it (similar to their 'white' countrymen) but also also have the highest level of total abstainers compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts....
There are many problems, common with those who have been similarly dispossessed or faced with another 'world', so much is yet to be done .... but your contribution - especially the final line - indicates racism at its worst - but perhaps designed to elicit a response.
They got swag.
I love their stories - and would love to see more docs - the more the better so the Aborigines may get recognition and respect for their customs and art.
Having one aboriginal dude tell you about the Australia is like having a Croatian tell you about Europe. There are so many tribes/families/language groups. So many different perspectives. Keep that in mind when you watch this...
Its up to the other "tribes/families" to post their history until then this is all eye got to go on. Every one of these Australian doc i have seen has been like this one? It would be a welcomed surprise to see a radical change! :-)
Have you watched the link dabrig posted above? The parts I've seen of it were quite different to this doco.