Lately, many farmers and scientists interested in sustainable patterns of land use, long-term environmental change and weather patterns have turned to Aboriginal weather knowledge to better understand the seasons and weather in South Australia.
Here are a number of websites you may explore to investigate Aboriginal knowledge on the seasons and ways of knowing.
Notice not all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations have the same calendars.
Structure and features
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View the BOM webpage on Aboriginal weather knowledge.
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View the 2 videos ABC - Indigenous seasons and CSIRO - Indigenous calendars.
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How are Aboriginal seasonal calendars similar or different to Australia’s European seasonal calendar?
- Write an article for the Advertiser on how South Australia might have developed differently if European settlers had used local Aboriginal knowledge when establishing their farming practices.
Links and files
Teacher notes
- Science understanding strand
- Earth and space science
- Year 7 seasons
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures science elaboration.
While the seasonal calendar used in most Western societies is based on specific dates to mark each season, Aboriginal people observe the position of stars in the sky and follow water, plant and animal cycles as ways of identifying seasonal phenomena.
Here are a number of websites you may have your students explore to investigate Aboriginal knowledge on the seasons and ways of knowing. Notice not all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations have the same calendars. You could have your students show their awareness and understanding of Aboriginal ways of knowing through these tasks:
- How are Aboriginal seasonal calendars similar or different to Australia’s European seasonal calendar?
- Write an article for the Advertiser on how South Australia might have developed differently if European settlers had used local Aboriginal knowledge when establishing their farming practices.
