First Nations peoples have been present on the Australian continent for more than 65,000 years. During this time, they have managed to develop and maintain continuous, unbroken connections with the land, water and sky. Understanding the deep interrelatedness between humans and their (human and nonhuman) kin and ancestors instilled a sense of responsibility, through custodianship of their environment.
The aim of this was to survive, and to promote a sense of ecological and cosmological balance. Indigenous Australian spiritualities understand this balance, which is essential to living in harmony with all things in creation. More than two-thirds of young Australians are experiencing eco-anxiety , while almost half of Australians believe our country is in “ decline ”.
First Nations spiritualities may have some answers. Australia’s more than 250 different First Nations language groups are connected by various elements of spirituality. In a general sense, spirituality captures the relationship between self, others and “God” .
In an Indigenous context, spirituality is the basis of First Nations peoples’ existence. Essentially, it is a way of life that informs their relationships with all of creation, including plant and animal kin. The notion of creation itself is informed by cosmologies that are specific to each group.
A deeply seeded belief in creative forces that have shaped – and continue to shape – all things is personified as Dreaming Ancestors . These entities.