James Cowan has written books about indigenous in various diverse locations. In this paperback he offers a brief but illuminating overview of the Australian Aborigines who "represent the conscience of us all as they recognize and acknowledge at all times the metaphysical origins of the human spirit." Cowan is convinced that Aboriginal spirituality is a rich resource, a veritable reservoir of information and lived experience. He singles out the libraries of their religious history carved into caves, rocks, and mountains. He respects their reverent and practical understanding and appreciation of the natural world and their repertoire of ritual and spiritual practices.
Cowan sees this paperback as "a small attempt to protect one of the world's oldest spiritual heritages." Throughout their long history, Aboriginals have resisted change and the imposition of teachings and rituals from outside their own tradition. Their Stone Age beliefs have given them sanctuary for centuries.
Cowan describes the Sky Heroes and their place in the creation of the world. He explains how each individual in the tribe is born "into" a totem: an object that can be an animal, plant, water, sun, cloud, or rain. Few people in the world are so dominated by their ritual life as the Aboriginals. They have them for transitions such as a birth, adolescence, adulthood, and death. Ceremonies also revolve around relationships, marriage, and sexual behavior. Cowan covers the art of myth, clever men and their dreams, sacred love, and the yellow ochre dance of death.
