Aboriginal Kinship and Reciprocity

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The law is a body of rules, principles and guidelines established in a community and enforced by a governing body e.g. the police force. The law is applicable to all people in the community. Ultimately the law is put in place in order to provide a social norm, structure and order in a community. The law is also a way of thinking, behaving and being; therefore, it is considered to be an integral part of the development and civilisation of societies, communities and cultures. (Lecture). In the traditional Aboriginal culture, the law revolves around principles of behaviour, in particular respect for all things in the universe e.g. plants, animals, air and water (lecture). The traditional Aboriginal law never changes; it is a body of rules which does not differentiate between the spiritual and physical worlds. The Aboriginal law was established by The Aboriginal ancestors ‘ancestor beings’. It may vary in content from one language group to another across the continent; however, there are general similarities across all language groups (chapter 2). Established laws across the globe which are currently practiced in different countries and cultures date back to thousands of years and have originated as a result of customs agreements, events and authorities. In Australia, there are approximately 600 Aboriginal nations/clan groups across the continent which are governed and bound by The Customary Aboriginal law. It is a distinct law from the Australian legal system which has existed for years prior to the western colonisation and the presence of the Australian legal system. The customary Aboriginal law is a system of principles and guidelines which stipulate social norms as well as ways of learning and being for The Aboriginals. It is also an integral part of The Aboriginal existence and continuity as it is formed through a network of connection which originated from The

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