science

1.12

First Nations Australians use science

Learning intentions

By the end of this topic, you will be able to: • describe how

First Nations peoples use science skills in their own unique cultures.

Note: This map attempts to represent the language, social or nation groups of Aboriginal Australia. It shows only the general locations of larger groupings of people which may include clans, dialects or individual languages in a group. It used published resources from the eighteenth century-1994 and is not intended to be exact, nor the boundaries fixed. It is not suitable for native title or other land claims. David R Horton (creator), © AIATSIS, 1996. No reproduction without permission. To purchase a print version visit: https://shop.aiatsis.gov.au/

Key ideas

• First Nations peoples come from many diverse nations that have their own unique cultures and knowledge. • First Nations peoples use science skills.

Australia is home to many Nations We say First Nations peoples (not ‘people’) because there are many diverse language groups across Australia (more than 250 different languages), each of whom have their own unique cultures, laws, practices and languages. The map in Figure 1 shows how many different social or language groups or Nations there are in modern-day Australia. Language groups refer to First Nations peoples or groups who share the same language. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are some of the oldest continuous cultures in the world and have lived on this land for at least 60 000 years. First Nations peoples have been using scienti c skills and methods for thousands of years. They have observed the world around them, carried out experiments and collected data and repeated those experiments with similar results so that they can understand and manage the world around them. As we will learn throughout Year 7 Science, Indigenous knowledge incorporates a wide variety of ideas and contexts, such as understanding ecosystems, medicine and astronomy.DRAFT

So when you learn about the Dreaming stories or cultural practices of one Nation, it is important to understand that not all Nations have the same cultural practices or knowledge. Using science skills First Nations peoples made many observations of all living things in the land, waters and sky. While Europeans grouped turtles as reptiles, the dugong as mammals and barramundi as sh, First Nations peoples group these animals together because they all live in water and have ns or ippers. This grouping is also used in the separation of the different parts of a mixture. Many of the living things can be culturally signi cant and, like their totems, are not used as a food source.

First Nations peoples use their skills to observe and identify plants that are able to be eaten and those that are poisonous, and to make water safe to drink. For example, First Nations peoples across far north Queensland developed techniques to detoxify many poisonous plants. One such technique involved roasting the seeds and stems of cycads. After roasting, the cycads are crushed and left to soak for a day before they are roasted again. This process removes the toxin (Cycasin) from seeds and stems and provides an edible food source. These processes are understood as a result of observing the surrounding environment, planning and conducting experiments, and analysing, communicating and repeating the results through oral traditions. Figure 2 A female fruiting cone from the Australian cycad DRAFT 1.12 Check your learning

Retrieve

1 De ne the word ‘observation’. 2 Identify the traditional custodians of your school’s land.

Comprehend

3 Describe why it is important to refer to

First Nations peoples as ‘peoples’ and not

‘people’. 4 Describe one example of First Nations peoples observing the world. 5 Describe one example of an experiment that First Nations peoples may have conducted thousands of years ago. 6 Explain why it is important to communicate the results of the experiment on producing clean water or plants that are safe to eat.

Quiz me Complete the Quiz me to check how well you’ve mastered the learning intentions and to be assigned a worksheet at your level. totem a spiritual being, symbol or object that is sacred to a group of people