Akuna Dreaming by
Agnes Rubuntja

Aboriginal Art is one of the more ancient traditional arts in the world, going back approximately 50,000 years. In early days, Aboriginals did cave painting, rock painting, and sand or ground painting. The newer generations use acrylic paints on canvas to portray their Dreamtime. These Aboriginal artworks are sought after not only in Australia but worldwide. According to Aboriginal mythology, Dreamtime is the era when the world was dark. There was nothing on earth; the soil was soft. This was when the forefathers sprang up from underneath the soil and started building most of the requirements for their needs and that of future generations. They built mountains, rivers, waterholes, trees, and light gardens.

Dreamtime is not a religion or a culture – it is a way or philosophy of living. Body painting, corroboree, men’s business, women’s business, and other cultural practices are strictly obeyed by the Aboriginal people. Initially a nomadic people, Aboriginals collected their food from nature, by hunting and gathering. However, they never do anything to hoard or spoil the nature of them environment. They honour their ancestral lands and the teachings from those ancestors.