ABOUT DAVID
UNAPION
In 1924, the article from which we
quote here appeared in the 'Daily Telegraph', written by David Unapion.
It is another view of the people who dwelt here before we came, and thus we hope
another point toward understanding.
Mr. Unapion was a
full blooded Aboriginal, born in South Australia.
He was educated among white children and
became an excellent scholar, who wrote and spoke for his people but also read
both Latin and Greek and played the piano.
He wrote: -
COMING TO AUSTRALIA
'In giving an account of the traditions and
customs of my race it is only logical and fitting that I should begin with the
tradition of our coming to Australia.
The Aboriginal has always known the four
points of the compass and the four winds of the earth - "Wallound"
(the north), "Gollcomi" (the south), "Collcomi"
(the west) and "Orrami" (the east).
The tradition implies that we arrived in
Australia from another land in the north - west. The way of our coming was
probably over an isthmus that has long since sunk under the sea. This
seems to agree with science that Australia was once part of a large and
ancient continent called "Lemuria".
DRIVEN BY FIERCE ANTS
We migrated, or were forced into
Australia by fierce ants and "Prald-arnaprodda".
This may mean that my ancestors were pursued
by a plague of huge deadly ants, or by a prehistoric race as fierce
and as innumerable as ants.
TRADITIONAL LAW
Since coming to Australia, thousands of
years ago, probably there has been no change in the habits and customs of my
people.
They have kept the balance of nature; for
centuries they have neither advanced nor retrogressed. Our tribal laws are
fixed and unchangeable. Generation after generation has gone through the same
tribal training.
Every race has had its great traditional
ruler and law-giver, who has given the race its first moral training as well
as its social and tribal customs.
Narrandarrie was
our great traditional leader. The laws of Narrandarrie are taught to
the children in their infancy.
The hunting grounds were given out to the
different families and tribes by Narrandarrie. The boundaries of the
tribal hunting grounds have been kept the same since the remotest of times.
THE THREE GREAT TESTS
Whilst the children of the tribes are
hearing from their elders all the traditions and legends of our race, they are
learning all the knowledge and skill of bushcraft and hunting as well as
undergoing the three great tests or initiations of 'Korumound' or full
manhood and 'Meenmund' or full womanhood, which is generally
completed before the age of eighteen.
The third test is to overcome fear. The
young people are told fearful and hair raising stories about ghosts and the Mallarpee,
the Evil Spirit of the devil-devil.
After this they are put to sleep in a lonely
place or near the burial place of the tribe.
During the night, the elders made hideous
with white clay and bark headdresses appear making weird noises.
Those who show no sign of having a disturbed
night are then admitted as fully initiated members of the tribe.
MARRIAGE
No youth or maiden is allowed to marry until
he or she has passed these tests. The marriage is talked over first by all the
old members of the tribe and it is always the uncle of the young man who
finally selects the wife.
The uncle on the mother's side is the most
important relative. The actual marriage takes place during the time of the
festivals.
The husband does not look at or speak to his
mother-in-law although he is husband in name to all his sister-in-laws. Under
native conditions the sex laws are very strict.
VAST AMOUNT OF
KNOWLEDGE
A fully developed Aboriginal has, in his own
way, a vast amount of knowledge. Although it may not be scientific learning,
still it is a very exact knowledge and his powers of physical observations are
developed to the utmost.
For instance the Aboriginal living under
primitive life knows the habits and anatomy of every animal in the bush. He
knows all the birds, their habits and even their mating notes.
He knows the approach of the seasons of the
year from various signs as well as from the position of the stars in the
heavens.
DIFFERENCES
IN DIFFERENT PLACES
Of course it will be understood that the
Aboriginal language and customs vary a great deal according to the nature of
the country the tribes are living in. Although there is a common understanding
running through us all. Our legends and traditions are all the same tales or
myths told slightly differently with local colouring etc.
For instance, all the tribes of South
Australia (my native state) agree that we originally came out of the
North-West, struck the Darling River and followed it down to Lake Alexandria.
We did not all come at once, but came in waves and we have preserved the names
of the tribes in the order in which they came.
There is not the slightest hint in our
traditions that there were any previous inhabitants in Australia.
GREATEST TIME
OF THE YEAR
The greatest time of the year to my people
is spring time.
THE STARS AND LEGENDS
All the cloud and constellations in the
heavens, Milky Way, the Southern Cross, Orion's Belt, Magellan Cloud, etc have
a meaning.
There are legends connected with them all.
HYPNOTIC SUGGESTION
AS MEDICINE
From time immemorial we have understood the
subtle art of hypnotic suggestion.
Our medicine men have used charms etc to
drive out pain.
EFFECT OF CONTACT
WITH WHITE MAN
It will be seen from the foregoing account and from other
sources that my race living under native and tribal conditions have a very
strict and efficacious code of laws that keeps the race pure.
It is only when the Aborigines come into contact with white
civilization that they leave their tribal laws and take nothing in place of
well established customs. It is then that disease and deterioration set in.'
