The Dreaming
NOT IN THE TEST This part is worth reading, but the citizenship test never asks about it.
The Dreaming is a western term often used to describe the system of knowledge, faith and practice that guides the life of Aboriginal peoples.
The stories of the Dreaming are told to children by their parents and elders. These stories teach the children how their land came to be shaped and inhabited. The stories also give the children valuable practical lessons, such as where to find food in the bush.
Stories of the Dreaming are told using music, song and dance. When Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples sing and dance, they feel a very deep connection to their ancestors.
The original forms of Indigenous art were rock carvings or paintings and ground designs. People from Central Australia typically created visual art representations using dots, circles and specific cultural symbols to represent the land or stories from the Dreaming, while those in the northern parts of Australia painted figures of humans, animals, symbols and spirits.
The Dreaming continues to be important to Aboriginal peoples today.
From Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, the official booklet