1. Aboriginal Spirituality

2. Learning Goals Understand the Origins of Aboriginal Spirituality
Understand the importance of creation stories and storytellers to the Aboriginal people
Know where Aboriginals of today reside

3. Origins No single founder.
Two theories of Aboriginal origin/history in the Americas:
They “came out of this ground,” meaning they were here before any record.
They migrated from Asia to North and South America by crossing a land bridge over the Bering Strait (between Alaska and Russia) years ago.

5. Origins Archaeologists have found Aboriginal artefacts dating
back beyond years.
Including wampum (beaded belts), animal paintings on rocks, bones representing burial rites, and wooden carvings.

6. Creation Stories Creation stories are important
vehicles for conveying Aboriginal beliefs
Often oral.
Offers a response to questions
of existence:
Why certain things in the environment are the way they are…
Where do we come from?
Where do we go when we die?

7. Storytelling
Traditional Aboriginal storytellers had to earn the right to be a storyteller.
They were important in teaching and in preserving the history of the group.

8. Creation Stories
Australian Creation Story Ojibway Creation Story

9. Aboriginal Spirituality Around the World
Huge diversity of Aboriginal spirituality.
Indigenous peoples live in every area of the globe.
80% of world’s 300 million Aboriginal peoples live in Asia.
13% in North and South America.