Working with ATSI people and communities

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	Question	Answer
1	During this significant period the ancestral spirits came up out of the earth and down from the sky to walk on the land were they created and shaped its land formations, rivers, mountains, forests and deserts. These were created while the ancestors travelled, hunted and fought. They also created all the people, animals and vegetation that were to be apart of the land and laid down the patterns their lives were to follow. What was this period?	The Dreaming
2	Dreamtime stores can vary between tribes, however the Rainbow Serpent is one of the few common to all. What is the Rainbow Serpent?	The Rainbow Serpent is one of the Dreamtime creators.
3	What made it difficult for the first Europeans in Australia to see that Aboriginal people were ‘religious’ and ‘spiritual’?	The first Europeans coming to Australia had preconceived ideas of religion and what it involved (churches, priests, etc). When they could not see these things in Australian Aboriginal communities they presumed Aborigines had “no religious notions or ideas”. These Europeans were wrong.
4	What do the terms ‘law’ and ‘traditional lore’ refer to?	The term ‘law’ is a British concept that was first introduced to the Aboriginal peoples during the colonization period, whereby they were expected to abide by this new justice system. The term ‘lore’ refers to the customs and stories the Aboriginal peoples learned from the Dreamtime.
5	What is traditional lore?	The term ‘lore’ refers to the customs and stories the Aboriginal peoples learned from the Dreamtime. Aboriginal lore was passed on through the generations through songs, stories and dance and it governed all aspects of traditional life. Traditional lore is connected to ‘The Dreaming’ and provides rules on how to interact with the land, kinship and community. Aboriginal children learned the law from childhood, by observing customs, ceremonies and song cycles
6	What do Aboriginal people have to prove to claim Native title?	They have to prove that the traditional laws and customs that they get their native title from are acknowledged and observed today and have continued since the time of European settlement.
7	What does the concept of family include fore ATSI people?	The concept of family is very different for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It often includes a much wider extended family, sometimes placed across several households. There is a clear focus on mutual obligations and sharing within the extended family. This can mean that the services and resources you provide to an Aboriginal client may be redistributed across other households.