Australian Aboriginal culture has, according to various estimates, survived between 40,000 and 100,000 years. The land is the altarpiece of their spirituality, and it must be treated reverently. Many call the Earth — the nurturer of vegetation, animal, and human life — the Mother of all. Ancient rock and bark paintings tell stories of the creation of the world and the role of the respected and feared Rainbow Serpent.
Anna Voigt has assembled excellent examples of contemporary Aboriginal art and talked with elders about the Dreamtime. This beautifully designed paperback contains an overview of the model of life provided by the Spirit Ancestors known as "the Law." Here are prescribed ways of hunting, sharing food, making tools, singing songs, and punishing wrongdoers. The authors discuss the significance of song lines, totems, sacred sites, and the rituals marking the life cycle. We have much to learn from these indigenous peoples about a sacred relationship with the earth and the importance of ceremony in giving life meaning.
