Dreaming
The information in this chapter was provided by Kim Bridge, Western Australia
'Dreaming' or 'Dreamtime' are English words that describe a rich Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander concept. In reality, it is impossible to find words that adequately capture this core element of who we are – but it’s something you feel when you sit with us on our country and hear our stories with an open mind and heart.
Dreaming is more than a mythical past; it prescribes our connection as Aboriginal people with the spiritual essence everything around us and beyond us. Dreamtime stories are not in the past, they are outside of time - always present and giving meaning to all aspects of life.
Indigenous peoples across Australia have different words for this concept, including Tjukurpa in central Australia, Bugari in Broome, and Wongar in north-east Arnhem Land.
Click here to listen to a story based on an Aboriginal Dreamtime story of Waatji Pulyeri (the Blue Wren):
The Dreaming is passed from generation to generation through stories, song, dance and art. This knowledge gives us special responsibility and is seen as a great honour.
For example, when we are taught a story or song about the travels of ancient creation spirits and ancestors from water-hole to water-hole, we become the holder of this essential knowledge.
The concept of Aboriginal Dreaming has been described this way: "The veil separating physical life from existence outside of physical life is far less distinct and far more permeable than that experienced by non-indigenous peoples."
"The collective knowledge and wisdom of the grandparents and great-grandparents in their living state are absorbed into the collective 'resource bank' when they pass on into death."2
2The coconut palm tree: a metaphor for Islander family life by Steve Mam, McRose Elu, Ivy Trevallion and Allan G. Reid
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