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The Australian landscape and the surrounding natural features were some of the things that shape Aboriginal mythology which, in turn, had become projections of "the time long past". In Aboriginal society, the women were responsible for extracting, used and cooked bush foods while older women transmitted knowledge about bush lore to younger women and children. The men and women together were both responsible for undertaking subsistence activity to support their family. rom an early age, children were encouraged to learn about bush lore. or boys, there were many opportunities to become familiar with territories other than his own since at circumcision he is taken to tribes other than his own. !irls, however, were primarily restricted to the family camp. athers sustained authority over their children, such as in relation to marriage arrangements, but it was generally the mother and the grandmother who had the primary right to discipline their children. "omen also had rituals of their own and did not regard men#s ceremonies as a privilege from which they were excluded.
Marriage
$ntil on the threshold of marriage, young women had little contact with the group into which they were destined to marry someday % that is, the affinal group to which the woman was betrothed or promised. After the age of nine years, or possibly later, the young woman was handed over to her future husband and sleep at his fire side from time to time. In this respect, the young girls generally aged between nine and thirteen were not re&uired to participate in sexual relation with their future husbands until they were beyond puberty. Transition from childhood to adolescence and preparation for marriage were dealt with in some detail by Aboriginal women. 'ounger Aboriginal women were well aware of what was involved with sex and sexual intercourse. At tone time, certain Aboriginal tribes practised introcision which was done by the old women. This was conducted when women wished to hasten puberty, the ceremony being regarded as essentially desirable since a girl can then take lovers. (itual details were kept secret from men and often occurred as a counterpart to male sub%incision. )uring the ritual, young women were told associated myths and ac&uired additional esoteric knowledge about Aboriginal religion.
*ersonal ritual for women usually occurred before and after menstruation, which some men feared because contact with a menstruating woman could cause sickness. "omen had to remain apart from their family camps for three to five days, where they were painted in red ochre by female kin. ood taboos were observed during times of menstruation and pregnancy. These taboos which restricted the consumption of bush food such as porcupine, snake, turkey and barramundi were similar to those imposed on young men during initiation. Indications that marriage was positive for women included economic reciprocity whereby the betrothed man handed over gifts to the woman#s parents from betrothal onwards. +etrothed women, on the other hand, were not re&uired to make any material sacrifices because their intentions were less obvious. In some cases, young girls who were betrothed and married after puberty had run away from their husbands because their husbands were too old or had frightened them. They were usually sent back by their parents and, from all accounts, sought lovers, one of whom they would eventually marry. Aboriginal marriages in general do not allow freedom of choice in marriage partners. Indeed, out of the disputes, discontent, reconciliations, and affection between those who are married, a relationship would seem to emerge which has in it the elements of permanency and the advantages
which have, in part, been deduced, and in part, directly formulated by the people themselves. In fact, from childhood onwards, men and women were expected to marry individuals of a certain subsection or social classification, and that such an arrangement did not necessarily result in the oppression of women. Anthropological studies suggest that Aboriginal people have a desire to marry in accordance with the prescribed rules, although in some cases, elopements did occur. In general, there was a recogni,ed procedure in courtship, which could be initiated by a woman or a man. -ost marriages were in accordance with the preferred model and monogamous unions were the most consistent form of marriage. *olygamous unions, where two women were married to one man, involved older men, although young stock boys occasionally had two wives, due mainly to their role as employees on stations where they receive additional material resources, such as tobacco, clothes, tools and food, giving them a wealth and prestige they would otherwise not have known. Alternative marriages also existed which were connected to kinship rather than to social subsection that normally regulated marriage.
Authority was vested collectively in a family group rather in particular individuals for social arrangements such as marriage. This process also occurred with gifts exchange. .ow gifts were provided by a man to his future in%laws formali,e the union and distinguished it from a casual liaison. !ift exchange also gave the man the right to take his wife away to his own family resident in accordance with the rules of patrilocal resident. The man would also claim any children that were born as his own. /oon after betrothal, the first gift such as hair%belt, pearl%shell, spears, and axes were made. The mother of the girl received her share of these because she exercised e&ual rights over her child. "hile gift exchange might seem to exchange an element of compensation for the loss of a family member to the girl#s parents, the bond with relatives and country persisted after marriage. Indeed, the process
surrounding marriage ensured that the woman#s family secured alliances with individuals in other hordes, along with the right to visit them. The principles of matrilineal succession, such as inheritance of knowledge and rights in land which were transmitted through women, were considered to be significant because they predate ethnographic consideration of matrilineal affiliations to land.
son%in%law during his marriage to her daughter. /ome of these be later passes on to her own relatives. In Aboriginal society, there were many positive aspects to marriage for women. They ac&uired more intimate relationships with the individual in other hordes together with the right to visit them1 the experience of grief and anxiety during the circumcision and sub% incision of sons showed a woman to be someone of conse&uence. -arriage was unambiguously based on the necessity of satisfying sexual, economic and social needs that were influenced by the cultural environment. "omen were not oppressed by marriage, which brought with it a certain status, companionship, protection and settled existence that were sanctioned by all members of the community.
myths, totemic affiliations and kinship ties with other individuals who also belong to the country. A strong bond existed among women, in part because they shared so many of their pursuits such as foraging and hunting together. In such circumstances, focus and positive interests created the conditions for a sense of shared identity among women, although there was also a great deal of co%operation with their husbands and other male kin, especially in economic and social matters.