We live in a country that is not rightfully ours, a country that generations before us have stolen, a land that belongs to others, a land that belongs to the Indigenous people of Australia. The Aboriginals have occupied Australia for thousands of years and the land is an integral part of their life, their culture and their traditions. The preservation of land is an important issue to Aboriginal communities as the land is an underlying factor in aboriginal spirituality. In contemporary Queensland it is difficult for aborigines to practise and be aware of their spirituality, as most groups do not have access to their sacred land.
Aboriginal spirituality is derived from the concept of the Dreaming, where the roots lie in a variety of stories, ceremonies, values and structures. The Dreaming dominates all spiritual and physical aspects of aboriginal life. It sets out the structure of society and rules for ceremonies that are performed to maintain the life of the land. Aborigines believe that they do not own the land but are part of it so they therefore have the duty to respect and maintain the land. They also believe that Australia took its shape and from the Dreaming Tracks. The Dreaming travelled across the landscape creating mountains and rivers, which the aboriginal people now call sacred sites, sacred sites that they do not have access to therefore not allowing them to practise aspects of their spirituality. A right, which is associated with the Dreaming, is that of land ownership. The land is the foundation of aboriginal spirituality. Their relationship with the land is central to aboriginal issues that are important to all tribes, all over Australia. The core of aboriginal life is their heritage and identity with the land as it determines their lifestyle and culture. Many white Australians do not understand the aboriginal culture and their link to the land. .
The separation of the link between aborigines and the land has alienated them from their spiritual need of their life, the Dreaming.
