Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
people across areas. The ranges around Alice Springs are part of the caterpillar Dreaming
with many sites including Akeyulerre (Billy Goat Hill), Atnelkentyarliweke (Anzac Hill)
and rock paintings at Emily Gap. The most well known are Uluru and Kata Tjuta which
is the home of the snake, Wanambi. His breath is the wind that blows through the gorge.
Pirla Warna Warna, a significant site in the Tanami Desert for Warlpiri people, is 435km
northwest of Alice and is where several Walpiri Dreaming stories meet.
Cultural tours offer visits to Aboriginal sites, learning about plants and animals, hunt-
ing and fishing expeditions and even workshops on bushfood or learning to dance.
Please note that many Aboriginal sites are protected by law and are not to be disturbed
in any way.
THE IMPORTANCE OF STORYTELLING
Aboriginal people had an oral culture so storytelling was an important way to learn.
Stories gave meaning to life and were used to teach or translate the messages of
the spirit ancestors. Although beliefs and cultural practices vary according to re-
gion and language groups, there is a common world-view that these ancestors cre-
ated the land, the sea and all living things. This is often referred to as the Dreaming
and Aboriginal people attribute their origins and existence to these ancestors.
Through stories, the knowledge and beliefs are passed on from one generation to
another and set out morals and values and rules to live by. They also recall events
from the past. Today artists have continued this tradition but are using new medi-
ums like film and writing. The first Aboriginal writer to be published was David
Unaipon, a Ngarrindjeri man from South Australia who was a writer, scientist and
advocate for his people. Born in 1872, he published Aboriginal Legendsin 1927 and
Native Legendsin 1929.
Other early writers were Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Kevin Gilbert and Jack Davis. All
have works published. Contemporary writers of note are Alexis Wright, Kim Scott,
Anita Heiss and Ali Cobby Eckerman. Award-winning novels to read are Kim Scott's
Deadman Dancing(Picador Australia) and Benang(Fremantle Press), Alexis
Wright's Carpentaria(Giramando) and Ali Cobby Eckerman's Little Bit Long Time
(Picaro Press) and Ruby Moonlight(Magabala Books).
