Aboriginal legends an untapped record of natural history written in the stars

veya_victaous wrote:there is a huge history of Australia that we westerners are only just learning since we finally decided to open our ears.
This is why it is wrong to dismiss other cultures beliefs out of hand as for many of them history science and religion are the same thing. they are all interwoven. they didn't separate knowledge into different schools like the west did.

Traditionally, this meant avoiding referring to the dead person by name directly after their death as a mark of respect[4]—and also because it is considered too painful for the grieving family. Today the practice continues in many communities, but has also come to encompass avoiding the publication or dissemination of photography or film footage of the deceased person as well. (The 2008 film Australia, like many Australian television programs, includes a title card warning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to "use caution viewing this film, as it may contain images or voices of dead persons", presumably out of respect for the cultural beliefs of said viewers.)

The avoidance period may last anywhere from 12 months to several years. The person can still be referred to in a roundabout way, such as, "that old lady", or by their generic skin name, but not by first name.[4] In some Central Australian communities, if for example, a lady named Alice passes away, that name must be avoided in all contexts, so even Alice Springs needs to be referred to in conversation in a roundabout way (which is usually fine, as the Indigenous name can be reverted to). Those of the same name as the deceased are referred to by a substitute name during the avoidance period—Kuminjay is used in the Pintubi-Luritja dialect. Galyardu appears in a mid-western Australia Wajarri dictionary for this purpose.

This presents some challenges to indigenous people. In traditional society, people lived together in small bands of extended family. Name duplication was less common. Today, as people have moved into larger centres, with 300 to 600 people, the logistics of name avoidance have become increasingly challenging.

Exotic and rare names have therefore become very common, particularly in Central Australia and desert communities, to deal with this new challenge.