Brave New Clan - Country/Place - Holistic Belief Systems

This lesson is based on the film Who We Are: Brave New Clan – Country/Place. This lesson focuses on the holistic belief systems of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and how these systems translate to a spiritual and intellectual connection to the land, seas, skies and waterways. Students begin by exploring the concept of Dreaming and Dreamtime and the relationship of Dreaming concepts to Country. Students closely examine a number of Dreaming stories and learn that these stories contain information about significant or sacred sites on Country. Finally, students are asked to think about the significance of local places and First Nations peoples custodianship of significant places.

Essential questions:

• What is Country?
• What is the Dreaming?
• How are Dreaming stories and Country related?
• Why are some places significant or sacred to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?