![]() In the past and in modern day Australia, Aboriginal communities have used both burial and cremation to lay their dead to rest. Again, this depends entirely on their beliefs and preferences. ![]() Some Aboriginal families will have a funeral service that combines modern Australian funeral customs with Aboriginal traditions. Each of these may have its own structure and meaning, according to that community’s specific traditions. There may not be a singular funeral service, but a series of ceremonies, dances and songs spread out over several days. Ceremonies can last for days and even weeks, and children may be taken out of school in order to participate. Aboriginal funeral serviceįunerals are important communal events for Aboriginal people. Not all communities conform to this tradition, but it is still commonly observed in the Northern Territory in particular. They may also use a substitute name, such as ‘Kumanjayi’, ‘Kwementyaye’ or ‘Kunmanara’, in order to refer to the person who has died without using their name. This is why some Aboriginal families will not have photographs of their loved ones after they die. ![]() It is believed that doing so will disturb their spirit. Within some Aboriginal groups, there is a strong tradition of not speaking the name of a dead person, or depicting them in images. ![]() Families, friends and members of the larger community will come together to grieve and support each other. Aboriginal funeral traditionsįunerals and mourning are very much a communal activity in Aboriginal culture. There are funeral directors who specialise in working with Aboriginal communities and understand their unique needs. However, in modern Australia, many Aboriginal families choose to use a funeral director to help them register the death and plan the funeral. The rituals and practices marking the death of an Aboriginal person are likely to be unique to each community, and each community will have their own ways of planning the funeral. This term refers to the funeral and mourning rituals around the death of a member of the community. You may hear Aboriginal people use the phrase ‘sorry business’. These cultural differences mean that funeral traditions will differ, but a common idea is that Aboriginal death rituals aim to ensure the safe passage of the spirit into the afterlife, and to prevent the spirit from returning and causing mischief. ![]() Aboriginal communities may share common beliefs, but cultural traditions can vary widely between different communities. Indigenous Australian people constitute 3% of Australia’s population and have many varied death rituals and funeral practices, dating back thousands of years. ![]()
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